TSCC season 2
by Hypnos0924
Summary: I wrote this a long time ago after season 1 ended. This is my version of the Season 2.
1. Chapter 1 The Tin man's Heart

Chapter 1 "The Tin man's Heart"

It has always been sad to see a group of people, wearing black dresses, black coats and ties, holding up black umbrellas while the rain poured down on them and tears fell from their eyes. Gathered around the place where they say their last goodbyes to their loved ones.

But this time it's different. There was no one else around, just two people grieving, a man standing in front of a tombstone, staring at the name etched on the stone, crying silently against the gently pouring rain. Someone walks up behind him, holding up an umbrella, reaching out a hand and finally rest on his shoulder.

"It's time to go." Said a gentle voice of a woman.

"I could have done something. Anything." He looks at the necklace he's holding in his hand.

"It's not your fault. I know she doesn't want you to think that." She stands beside him, shielding them both from the rain.

"She fought it for three years. Three years, and she didn't say anything to me. Why did she kept it from me? There are a lot of things that I wanted to tell her, to thank her for. But I didn't." He bowed his head then closed his eyes.

"The woman embraced him and said, "She knows it John, she knows it."

John held her tight then opened his eyes to look at the tombstone once more. In it was the name that will always be a part of him.

"SARAH CONNOR"

After hearing the explosion, Sarah and John ran outside the house. They saw their jeep engulfed in flames.

"Cameron." Sarah uttered with a concerned look on her face. John looked at his mom and then hurriedly ran back inside.

Suddenly the car's door flew off when Cameron pushed it with force. And she got out with her jacket still burning.

John came back with a fire extinguisher, but stopped on his tracks when he saw Cameron. Unable to move a step more, Sarah grabbed the fire extinguisher from John's hands and immediately put the fire out on Cameron.

"John, get her inside!" she shouted while trying to extinguish the burning jeep.

John's feet were glued to where he was standing.

The right side of Cameron's face was severely damaged. The skin was gone, revealing the skull-like endoskeleton, the teeth and a glowing blue mechanical eye.

John was visibly stunned by what had just happened, staring blankly at Cameron.

She stood still but her eyes were moving left to right. Her vision panel indicates "Component Malfunction".

"John!" Sarah shouted once more.

John snapped back to reality. Ran towards Cameron and grabbed her arms.

"Ah!" John singed his hand.

Derek who was back from the park, raced over to John.

"What the hell happened?"

He looked at Cameron, "Wha-?"

"Derek take them both inside!" yelled Sarah.

He hastens to carry Cameron on his shoulder and head towards the house. John followed them holding his singed hand.

Derek lowered Cameron on the dining chair then turned to John.

"You alright?" checking John's hand.

"I'm fine." Giving Derek an assuring look.

"Run it under tap water." Said Derek then went back outside.

The impact of the explosion resulted to Cameron's automatic system reboot. Leaving her sitting like a statue for a hundred and twenty seconds.

After doing what Derek said, John went to check up on Cameron. He saw that her right arm and shoulder were damaged too. A large part, from the shoulder joint to the elbow exposed the endoskeleton, with some wires badly severed.

Back outside the house, Sarah and Derek contained the fire.

"We have to clean this mess up." Said Sarah with a hint of urgency. "Before the-"

"Don't worry, I'm on it." Interrupted Derek. "Go, John needs you."

Sarah nodded and then rushed back inside the house. She found John standing by the sink with his hands behind his head looking agitated.

"John are you ok?" asked Sarah.

"Mom she's not moving." Looking back at Cameron, " She's not responding!"

Sarah was still looking at him.

"Mom the hand is fine." Showing her his hand, it was slightly reddish but showed no serious injury.

Sarah took a closer look at Cameron, who was still sitting and staring vacantly.

"She said 120 seconds right?" asked Sarah, looking at the damaged side of Cameron's face.

"But it wasn't caused by electricity. Do you think she's-"John stopped abruptly.

"How long has it been?" asked Sarah, taking a step back from Cameron.

"I don't, I don't know." John tried to answer calmly, trying to count on his mind.

"Stay away from her John." Ordered Sarah on her way to her room.

"Wha- ? Why? Mom!" confused by what she said, he followed her a few steps. Sarah emerged from the room holding a shotgun and a cell phone, going straight past John to the kitchen.

"Mom, what are you- wait!" John said with panic in his voice.

Sarah placed the shotgun on the kitchen counter. John caught up with her.

"What's the gun for?" asked John.

"Watch her but stay back." Sarah commanded him and started to dial a number on her cell phone. John didn't say anything but looked at her inquiringly.

"Cameron might be damaged; she might try to kill you." She answered bluntly. John seemed astounded by this answer. He just quietly did what he was told.

A man in a bulletproof vest looks down on a pool clustered with bodies of his fallen comrades, floating on their own blood. He's been staring at it for several minutes now. Drifting away like it was just a nightmare he can recover from.

His cell phone rings, he reaches for it on his pocket.

"Ellison." Answered the man.

He listened to the person on the other line for a moment.

"I'll see what I can do." Then puts the cell phone back on his pocket. A man approaches agent Ellison.

"The other EMTs are on their way. I can't do this on my own, there's too-" he stopped, looking at the scene, devastated.

"Many." Said agent Ellison, finishing it for him.

"I have to be somewhere, it's important. Can you make sure-" He seemed lost for words. The man nodded.

"I will."

"Thank you Mr. Dixon." Ellison said.

"Charlie." The man replied.

"Thank you Charlie." Acknowledged agent Ellison.

Cameron's eyes are still blank. John looks at her from a far, hopefully waiting for a response.

Sarah walks in to the kitchen and puts her cell phone down at the counter.

"Anything?" she moved beside John. Noticing the shotgun still untouched.

"Nothing." John said obliviously.

"I told you to watch her." Said Sarah.

"I am mom." Said John who was slightly irritated. Not looking at Sarah.

"I meant take the shotgun and be ready." Said Sarah firmly.

"Be ready for what mom?" His tone slightly rising.

Sarah was taken aback by John's reaction.

"She was in an explosion. We don't know how much damage she sustained. Don't be so stubborn, John. It wouldn't hurt to be careful." She replied anxiously.

"You know how much you mean to me. And to the future." Sarah added.

Sarah's words appeared to have a calming effect on her son.

"I'm sorry." John said sincerely.

Sarah moved towards Cameron then looked back at John and said, "I understand," then gazed at Cameron, "I know she's important, she's protecting you. I'm worried too but we can't do anything."

At this moment, Cameron's eyes glowed blue. She looked up and scanned Sarah's face. Her vision was a bit hazy. Then turned and did the same to John. Sarah instinctively seized the shotgun on the counter and pointed it to the awakened Cameron. Her vision panel indicates. "Identity: John Connor. Objective: Protect."

"John get out of here!" yelled Sarah who was bracing herself.

Cameron stood up and stared at Sarah. Sarah cocked the shotgun.

John shouted at Cameron, "What is your mission?"

Cameron answered mechanically, "Find John and Sarah Connor, Protect them at all cost."

Sarah lowered the shotgun. Cameron looked at her inquisitively.

"Just in case you've gone bad." Explained Sarah who still seemed skeptical.

"Thank you for explaining." said Cameron.

"You said you guys were programmed to repair yourselves, is that right?" asked Sarah.

"Yes." Replied Cameron.

"Then get to it." Instructed Sarah.

Cameron walks past Sarah to go to her room. John made to follow her was grabbed by Sarah on his arm.

"No John. She might be lying. She did it before, she'll do it again."

"Not about this." John said boldly then continued, "I sent her to find us, to protect us. I'm the one who reprogrammed her. You should trust me mom, not her."

Sarah looked at her son for a moment and realized her defeat. John left her standing there thinking about what Cameron told her about the future John, "He does these things." It finally dawned on her that she can never dictate John; she can only guide him and let him be the man he truly is. A Leader.


	2. Chapter 2 Hang Fire

Chapter 2 "Hang Fire"

The Playground, is like a world on its own. A place where you can witness happiness, misery, war, camaraderie, innovation and destruction.

Children running around laughing while playing tag; A shy one sits on a swing looking at how happy the other kids are; A band of boys dodging each other while shooting water guns; A girl helps her little brother learn how to ride a bike; Two best friends playing on the sand box building castles; And a gang led by a bully vandalizes the see-saw at the corner.

Sarah sits on a bench near the slide. Keeping an eye on a boy who joyfully climbs the ladder then waves at her before sliding down. She smiles faintly, trying to hold on to this moment, knowing that it won't last.

The boy rushes to climb back up again that he almost slipped but kept his balance.

Sarah stood up instantly, and yelled "Be careful!"

The boy looked back and gave her an assuring smile, then ran towards Sarah and hugged her.

"I'm okay mommy." The boy said and kissed her on the cheek. He ran back to go up the slide again.

Sarah quietly stared at her son, wishing she could freeze time.

Sarah stood frozen outside the door of Cameron's room, watching John trying to help fix the damaged Cameron. Sarah looks down, immersed on thoughts of john, on how strong he has always been. But he never showed it.

She hears someone entered the front door and heads over to see who it was.

Cameron evaluates the possible damages that she sustained. Her HUD shows that she's scanning for errors. She tries to raise her right arm but can only manage an inch high.

"I need to repair it." She told John, who was looking at her tentatively.

"Yeah, I can see that." John answered frankly.

He looks at Cameron like there was no hope for her.

"What will you do about the-."John couldn't finish his words, pointing at his own face.

"The damaged tissues? I already have the required tissue for skin grafting. But I still don't have the material needed to heal it faster. I'll worry about that later. I need to repair my arms first." Explained Cameron.

"I was gonna say 'the eye', but yeah that too." Said John, feeling a little dazed by what she just said.

"My eye?" asked Cameron.

"Yeah, you can't walk around missing an eye." Replied john. "And remember you're going to the prom? With Morris." He added jokingly.

"Prom?" questioned Cameron.

"Never mind, just go and do what you need to do." John said calmly.

"I'll worry about the eye later." said Cameron.

"Since when do you worry about things?" asked John, fazed by Cameron's continuous display of human emotions.

"Just making conversation." Answered Cameron without looking at him.

John shook his head with a grin on his face.

Sarah found Derek in the kitchen, catching his breath.

"You ok?" asked Sarah.

"Yeah, I wanted to get back as fast as I could. How's John?" said Derek.

"He's fine. He's helping Cameron. How did it go?" inquired Sarah.

"I towed the Jeep and left it at the back of a junk yard." Derek informed Sarah. "Listen, we have to get out of this house right now. Whoever did this might come back." Derek added immediately.

"We can't just leave yet. Not now." Answered Sarah.

Derek looked at her questioningly.

"Why not?" Derek asked furiously.

Sarah took a moment to answer, "Cameron's damaged, we need her. We can't run without her." Sarah said to Derek pressingly.

Derek looked at her like she doesn't know what she's talking about.

"But you have to go." Uttered Sarah.

"What?" asked Derek.

"Find somewhere safe, hide, just for a while." Said Sarah.

Derek stood there staring at her.

"I called someone for help. If he sees you, he might change his mind and arrest you." Said Sarah.

"Ellison? You called Ellison?" said Derek feeling a little stunned. "Why? What for? Are you forgetting that he's also after you?"

"It's a long story. I'll tell you everything when it's all sorted out." Explained Sarah.

"Fine." Said Derek then sits on the dining chair.

"I need you to go now." Said Sarah with a faint smile.

"Okay, I'm going." Said Derek.

Sarah takes her cell phone from her pocket and hands it to Derek.

"Here take this. We'll call you as soon as I'm sure that I've convinced Ellison about your case." said Sarah.

Derek walked closer to Sarah. And looked directly into her eyes.

"Be careful. Don't be too confident about Ellison." Warned Derek.

"I know." Said Sarah.

Derek takes a moment to look at her, and when Sarah nodded, he took it as a sign saying that everything's fine; he left.

A man in a black shirt looks at his reflection on a dusty, cracked mirror on the wall. Even in his blurred image, his wounds were clearly visible. His face and neck brimming with gunshot wounds. He looks down on his left arm which had gashes all over it. The man touches a wound on his face revealing a small, gleaming, silver surface. He looks back at the mirror once more, his eyes glowed red.

Charley is sitting on the stairs near the pool, looking at the body bags being lifted at the back of the ambulance. He seemed worked-up and lost seeing these events unfold. A man in a suit approaches him.

"Mr. Dixon, I'm Agent Stewart." He said. Charley stands up and shakes his hand.

"I believe you're the first one to respond on the scene?" He continued.

"Yes." Answered Charley.

"Have you seen Agent Ellison?" asked Agent Stewart.

"He was when I got here but then he left, he said he needed to go somewhere." Said Charley.

"Did he say where he was going?" asked Agent Stewart.

"He didn't say. He did mention it was important." Replied Charley.

"Thank you Mr. Dixon." Said Agent Stewart then he turned to leave.

"I saw this man, Kester, I saw him leave." Said Charley his voice trembling.

Agent Stewart turned to face him.

"I just arrived when I saw him at the gate." Continued Charley.

"He walked away without any injuries?" Asked Agent Stewart, bewildered by what he heard.

"He had gunshot wounds all over him." Told Charley.

Agent Stewart stared at him like he was delusional.

"It's impossible." He said. "No human can ever survive that." Added Agent Stewart.

He then turned and leaved.

"It's because he's not human." Charley said aloud to himself.

Sarah entered Cameron's room. John walked towards her.

"How is she?" asked Sarah.

"She's doing repairs, her arm, wires were damaged. It needs to be fixed before the skin grafting." Explained john.

"Anything I can do?" asked Sarah.

"Well, she did say that she needs an ECM, powdered form or something. It's to repair the tissues." Said John.

"What's ECM?" asked Sarah.

"Extra Cellular Matrix." It was Cameron who answered Sarah while still doing repairs and then continued, ECM causes regrowing and healing of the tissues. It facilitates the surrounding cells to repair it instead of forming scar tissues. And in a much faster rate." Explained Cameron.

"I've never heard of it. Does it work?" Inquired Sarah.

"Research is currently being done by universities as well as the U.S government for wounded soldier applications. Scientists are using powdered form on Iraq war veterans whose hands were damaged in war." Explained Cameron.

"How did you know about this?" It was John who asked this time.

"The research was a success. ECM was used during the year 2010 when the war re-ignited between the United States and Iraq. Many soldiers benefited from it." Said Cameron.

"There'll be a war?" asked Sarah, "Aside from the war that we're trying to prevent from happening?" She asked after a brief pause.

"Yes." Replied Cameron.

"Sometimes I wonder why we're wasting our time and our lives trying to stop Skynet from starting a war against humanity. When we, humans, engage in wars that kill millions of people." John said desolately.

"Because you care." Cameron said bluntly.

"Do you even know what 'care' means?" Said a surprised Sarah, then looked at John questioningly.

"Don't ask." John said, "So where are we gonna get this ECM?" He added, looking at Cameron.

"Please tell me we don't have to steal or kill anyone for it." Said Sarah, sounding very concerned.

"No, we don't have to steal or kill anyone for it." Replied Cameron moving her right arm, testing it.

"Is it fixed?" John asked.

"Yes.' Cameron said to John the she looked at Sarah and said, "There are 15 containers of ECM stored in a Storage facility. Locker number 715. Location: 7500 Whitsett Avenue.

"Does Derek know about this storage?" asked John.

"No. Only the Engineer knows about it." Said Cameron.

"Who is this 'Engineer'?" Questioned Sarah.

"Is he still alive? Is he here?" Asked John.

"Yes and No." replied Cameron, "No, she's not here at this time." She added.

"You said 'she', does she have a name or-" Sarah was interrupted by a knock on the front door.

Sarah took a 9mm hidden under Cameron's table.

"Stay here." She said to John, "You too." She told Cameron when she stood up.

Sarah left the room and quietly walked towards the door. She looked closely at the person at the other side. She recognized the face then tucked the gun at the back of her jeans and opened the door.

"Agent Ellison, thank you for coming. I don't know anyone else who can help us." Said Sarah.

"I'm glad you called. Anything I can do to help. You saved my life, It's the least that I can do." He said sincerely. "And I believe you." He added.

Sarah felt a little glint of hope. Like the weight of the world on her shoulders suddenly felt a pound lighter and another step closer at stopping Skynet.


	3. Chapter 3 The Nameless One

Chapter 3: The Nameless One

It was a fancy window display of an electronic shop, with 5 huge 42-inch plasma TVs, surrounded by a couple of shiny new DVD players. A couple of passers-by glance at it. Some bystanders were admiring it, wishing it was placed snugly on their living room. But there's one person that stares at it more than anyone else.

A man wearing a black biker jacket over a gray hoodie, with the hood over his head. His green eyes fixed intensely on the screens not because of the beauty of the device, it's because of the breaking news flashed on it. "3 people standing naked in the middle of the road. Witnesses say they appeared out of nowhere." A video footage recorded with a cell phone shows a woman staring, her face exhibits fear and disorientation.

The look on the hooded man's face is indescribable. He seemed distressed, heartened and euphoric all at the same time. He stood in front of the display for quite awhile, before he turned his back and walked away.

Agent Ellison sat at the Connor's living room, clasping his hands while his arms rest on his lap; looking at the person sitting across the coffee table.

"Someone rigged your car with a bomb? Do you have any idea who did it?" asked Agent Ellison.

"No, I don't." Sarah answered, "Agent Ellison, I would really appreciate it if you can help us specifically with the police. We can't be in the radar." She said after a brief pause.

"Don't worry about it. I'll tell them it's a gang related activity." Said Agent Ellison. "Did anyone got hurt?" He added.

"No one." Answered Sarah.

"And the car, where is it?" Asked Agent Ellison.

"Before I can answer that, I need to explain something to you." Said Sarah on a serious note.

"Please do. 'Cause I've been in one hell of a day and I can't think of any explanation to what I've witness earlier, but the connection that I have with you." Said Agent Ellison dejectedly.

"What happened?" Asked Sarah.

Ellison bowed down, trying to remember what happened and said, "We went to get this guy, Kester, I have him as a suspect for the murder of a plastic surgeon. Now, he was posing as an FBI agent investigating something or someone. We raided his apartment; it was 12 of us against him. Just him, and he picked them up and threw them one by one. He didn't dodge any bullet that was fired on him. He killed them all, I was the only one left then he looked at me and pointed a gun but he didn't pull the trigger. I thought I was going to die." He told Sarah dimly.

Sarah looked at Agent Ellison with deep sympathy.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly.

They both sat silently for a moment, and when Ellison regained his composure, he said to Sarah, "You were saying about the car?"

"Yes, I um-"Trying to think about what she was going to say.

When suddenly, John came out calling,"Mom! Cameron-"He stopped abruptly when he saw that there was someone else in the room. John looked warily at Agent Ellison, then to Sarah.

"It's okay, he's here to help." Sarah said to John assuring him. Then continued, "Agent Ellison, this is my son John." Agent Ellison stands up and shakes John's hand.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you. But I expected that you were older." Said Agent Ellison.

"It's complicated." Replied john.

Agent Ellison smiled at him and said, "It always is." Then looked at Sarah, "Well, I should go, we don't have much time. Someone might have called the police." Said Agent Ellison.

"I understand." Said Sarah, "Thank you." She added.

She held out a hand, Ellison took it and shake her hand.

"You're welcome." Said Agent Ellison.

He then walked towards the door followed by Sarah and john. He stopped by the door holding the knob and said, "The next time we meet, explain to me everything." Sarah nodded and replied, "I will."

Agent Ellison left, Sarah closed the door then turned to look at her son.

"Should we trust him?" asked John.

Sarah takes a moment to consider things then answered, "Yes. I think we should."

An indistinct shadow lurks behind a tree, watching Agent Ellison step out of the Connor's house. Ellison got in his car and drove away. He stared at the house then gazed at the pendant of one of the necklaces that he was wearing. It was a bullet-shaped pendant and the other was shaped like a tip of a spear. Then he disappeared.

Sarah and John are back inside Cameron's room.

"Tell mom everything that you told me." John told Cameron.

Cameron looked at Sarah.

"You sent me to buy a cake for John, when I got inside the Jeep I saw this man walking away. He looked at me; it was the guy from the internet café." She informed Sarah.

"The one Derek shot at the alley?" asked Sarah.

"No, the one at the counter." Said Cameron.

John left the room. Sarah said quickly, "Where are you going?"

"Mom, just a sec." said John.

He came back holding a printed photo of a man.

"Is this the guy you saw?" questioned John.

Cameron looked at the photo.

"Yes." She said.

John looked at Sarah apprehensively.

"Are you sure?" Sarah asked Cameron.

"Points on the facial structure is a match. It was him." Said Cameron.

Sarah seemed worried.

"Give me your phone." She told John.

"Why?" asked John.

"I need to call Derek." Said Sarah reaching out her hand waiting for John's phone.

John realized and said, "Where is he?"

"Just give me your phone, John." Instructed Sarah.

He said nothing and searched for his phone in his pocket then handed it to Sarah. She walks out of the room leaving John confused.

Derek was walking in a dark alley when his phone rang.

"Yeah." He said then listened to the person on the other line.

"What? How did you find out?" Asked Derek.

"Cameron saw him before the explosion. His scanned passport was one of the files on the hard drive. I need you to find him. Keep an eye on him." Said Sarah on the other line.

"Alright, I'll find him." Said Derek, "Just call if you guys need me." He added then placed the phone back on his jacket pocket.

After hanging up, Sarah puts down the phone and leaned on the kitchen counter. She felt that the weight of the world on her shoulders came back twice as heavy as it was before. She said to herself that she needed to get John to a safe place as soon as possible. But she knew that John would not permit it. He doesn't like to run anymore, he doesn't want to be scared. He wants to fight. Sarah decided that if they're going to fight, they need to act fast and be prepared. Cameron needs to be fixed immediately.

Sarah heads to her room, grabs the trunk of guns from under the bed, takes a couple of magazines for the 9mm that she has tucked behind her. Returns the trunk under, gets up and takes her leather jacket and heads to the living room where John was sitting. He stood up when he saw Sarah.

"Mom where are you going?" John asked.

"I'm going to get the ECMs for Cameron." She said.

"We're coming with you." John said and dashed to his room.

"John!" Sarah called after him. But he's already gone before she could stop him. She heard John called for Cameron. They both showed up in the living room.

"John I need you to stay here." Said Sarah.

"But mom-" John said impatiently.

"It's too dangerous –" Sarah was saying but was interrupted by John.

"Every where's too dangerous mom. Do you think 'here' is safe? What if that man, Sarkissian, comes back?" He said almost raising his voice.

"I know. But he won't come back just yet." Sarah said calmly.

"How do you know?" He said in the same intense tone.

"Because if their watching us, they know that I called the FBI. And they would want to plan their next move." Explained Sarah.

"She's right. It's safer to stay here than to go out. Cromartie's still a threat." Said Cameron who was watching both of them.

"Sarkissian is human. His men are humans." Sarah said to her son then looked at Cameron, "They don't know what they're walking into, right?" She said to her.

"Right." Replied Cameron.

John sat down at the sofa who look defeated.

"John, I'll be back as soon as possible." Said Sarah.

Cameron took out something from her pocket.

"Here take this. It's the key card for the storage locker. And remember this numbers: 2011715." She said handing over the key card to Sarah.

"2011715." Repeated Sarah.

"Watch him. Don't get your eyes off him. Do you understand?" She said to Cameron.

"Yes." Said Cameron.

Sarah stepped out of the porch straight towards the garage. She opened the wooden gat and went inside. A silver Mercedes Benz departs from it. Someone follows her, wearing a visor and a black leather jacket, riding a Ducati 749.

John was sitting in front of his laptop trying to finish decrypting Sarkissian's hard drive. He didn't notice Cameron who was standing at the door. He was startled when he looked up.

"Why the hell do you always do that?" asked John.

"Do what?" Replied Cameron.

John didn't answer her; he just continued what he was doing.

"Sarah asked me to watch you." She said mechanically.

John looked at her with a grin on his face.

"Not literally, you know. You can sit down or do something else." Explained John.

"But she said, 'Don't get your eyes off him'." Said Cameron imitating Sarah's voice.

John looked slightly irritated, shakes his head and said, "Whatever. And please don't do that imitating voice thing, it's freaky."

"I'm just kidding. I know what she meant." Said Cameron.

"I'm surprised you didn't say 'I fooled you'." Said John, "Now you're just kidding." He added.

"You're worried about Sarah. I'm just trying to cheer you up." She said.

John looked at Cameron and gave a feeble smile.

Sarah arrived at 7500 Whitsett Avenue. She parked the car, took the gun from her back and cocked it then tucks it behind her. She stepped out of the car, looked around while waling to the entrance. She was met by a Security guard who greeted her. "What can I do for you?"

"Hi. Locker 715?" Said Sarah, showing him the key card.

"It's downstairs," pointing to a stair way, "Just head straight then turn left at the end." Instructed the guard.

"Thanks." Said Sarah with a smile.

Sarah went down the stairs. She looked at the numbered doors while she walked by them. It was a well-lighted facility, with a little gust of cold air getting in. She walked towards the end of the room and turned left.

Back upstairs, the security guard was gaping at a man who just entered. He had wounds all over his face and arms. The man didn't take notice of the stunned guard, he just walked past him. The guard called after him and put his hand over his gun. The man looked back and walked towards the guard instead.

Sarah found locker 715 and inserts the key card, pressed the numbers Cameron told her. The small red light turned green. She pushed open the door and went inside. It was dark but Sarah found a light switch and turned it on. The room was filled with metal trunks varying in sizes and 3 long, flat metal cases with heavy locks. There was a rack filled with different kinds of firearms and ammos. Some documents, CDs, a laptop and rolls of blueprints. Cameron forgot to mention one thing.

"Damn it Cameron which one?" she uttered to herself.

She looked around and found a shoebox-sized metal case at the far corner on top of a table. She opened it and found 13 metal flasks with 2 slots empty. Each flask has a red label bearing the letters 'ECM'. She took 3 flasks and placed it in her jacket pocket. Sarah closed the case and took it with her.

She hurried to the door then it suddenly swung open. Sarah stopped abruptly in front of the person who opened it. She found herself face to face with a tall and heavily wounded man. And realized that it wasn't human, it was Cromartie. She dropped the case and reached behind her back but before she can get hold of her gun, Cromartie picked her up by her jacket with both his hands and threw her out the room.

Sarah landed hard and slid across the floor. She struggled to stand up holding her right shoulder in pain. She staggered and fell to her knees. Behind her, Cromartie picked up the dropped metal casing containing the ECMs. Sarah was crouching in agony that she didn't see a man in black leather jacket arrived holding a SPAS 12 shotgun.

Cromartie turned to leave; the man moved towards him and shot him 5 times in the torso which forced him back inside the storage locker. The mysterious man ran in the direction of Cromartie and shot him thrice until the cyborg fell on its back. He took out two hand grenades from inside his jacket, pulled the pins and throws it inside the room with Cromartie. He shuts the door close and ran back to Sarah just in time to shield her from the explosion. He carried Sarah back up the stairs and out to his waiting bike.

"Can you stand? He asked Sarah.

"Yes." Replied Sarah and he gently put Sarah down. She looked at him trying to recognize his face. He hopped on his bike and looked at the stunned Sarah.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you have to come with me if you want to live." He said seriously.

Sarah felt light-headed and can't clearly see who she was talking to.

"Kyle?" She asked weakly.

"Now is not the right time." He said. Sarah stood paralyzed still looking at him.

"Now!" He shouted at Sarah.

Sarah obeyed uncertainly, climbed on the bike behind the man.

"Hold on." She heard him say. They drove off swiftly and disappeared. After a few seconds, Cromartie emerged from the building, looking for his targets. His face was badly damaged. The only skin left on his face was on his right eye. The rest exposed a terrifying skull-like endoskeleton.

Sarah and the mysterious man arrived at the Connor's house. She got off first leaving the man still on the bike. Sarah was near the front door when he caught up with her.

"Wait!" The man said.

Sarah slowly faced the man and pointed her gun at his face. He stared at Sarah.

"Who are you? Tell me your name!" Demanded Sarah who flinched. The man opened his mouth but didn't say anything.

"Last chance, I swear I'll put a bullet through your head." Warned Sarah still holding the gun at his face.

The man spoke calmly, "I can tell you that it's not Kyle."

He slowly showed his hands to Sarah assuring her that he doesn't have any weapon. He reached behind his neck and pulled a necklace with a bullet-shaped pendant and said,

"Do you recognize this?"

Sarah looked at it, she recognized it. It was the same necklace that she was wearing.

"Same as yours." The man said.

Sarah was speechless. Tears formed in the man's eyes.

"Do you know who gave it to me? He waited for Sarah to respond but she couldn't give any. Then the man spoke in a warm voice.

"You gave it to me, mom. Before you died." He said and tears finally fell from his eyes.

Sarah slowly lowered the gun. She was completely stunned by this revelation.

The door opened behind Sarah. It was John followed by Cameron.

"Mom what's going on?" asked John.

Sarah didn't move or say anything. She was still looking at the man in front of her.

"Mom!" Called John and finally noticing the person she was talking to.

Cameron came into view, the man saw her and was visibly shocked by her appearance.

He said in a trembling voice, "Cameron?"

The man was squinting and looked nauseated. He tried to take a step back. He was still looking at Cameron then he blacked out.

Sarah, who recovered from her shock, ran to his side and lifted his head in her lap.

"John give me a hand!" She called for him.

John rushed to her; he raised the man's arm over his shoulder. They both tried to carry him but Sarah was still in pain.

"Cameron take him inside!" John said to her then helped Sarah instead.

Cameron lifted the man over her shoulder and carried him inside the house. John and Sarah followed them.

Cameron lowered the unconscious man on the sofa. John helped Sarah sit on a chair.

"What happened to your shoulder?" Asked John. "Mom who is this guy?" He asked Sarah again.

"It's you." Cameron said.

John looked at Cameron and said, "What?" Then turned to face Sarah. She nodded. John looked back at the unconscious man on the couch. He stared blankly on himself, wandering away like he was dreaming.

He looked so different that he didn't recognized himself. John always wondered what the future holds for him.

Will he become a leader like they always say he would? Will he even accept his fate?

Or will he just walk away from it all?


	4. Chapter 4 The Other Connor

Chapter 4 "The Other Connor"

The Connor's living room sofa has yet another enigmatic occupant. Sarah gazes at him while Cameron stands behind her. The man asleep in the sofa had a scar above his left eyebrow. He still has traces of his youth despite his battle-hardened image. Sarah noticed that he had a tattoo on his left wrist. It was a word written in Hebrew. John came in with a bag of ice and handed it to Sarah.

"Mom what happened?" asked John sitting from across her.

Sarah takes off her jacket carefully. She remembers the three metal flasks on its pocket. She takes it then hands it over to Cameron.

"Is this enough? I did get the whole case but I lost it." Said Sarah. Cameron takes the flasks.

"Yes. One unit of ECM is enough for repair." Cameron told Sarah.

"Then go, do it now. We need to move fast." Commanded Sarah then takes the bag of ice and holds it against her bruised shoulder.

"Thank you." Said Cameron then she left. Both Sarah and John looked surprised at what she said. John looked at Sarah and said,

"Mom?" Still waiting for her answer.

"I got to the storage facility, I found the ECMs then there was this man-"

"What man?" Interrupted John who looked really worried.

"He was there to get something. It was Cromartie." Continued Sarah. Upon hearing this, John confirmed his worries.

"How does he know about this storage?" Asked John.

"I don't know." Sarah said, she was wincing in pain.

John looked at the man in the sofa.

"And him?" Asked John, feeling odd asking about himself.

Sarah looked at the other John.

"You saved me." She said softly.

It was a dark alley with a couple of people warming their hands on a fire in an empty steel drum. John was sitting with his back against the wall, looking at a picture, reminiscing. He places it back on his pocket. A fresh wound is seen above his left eye. He rests his head on the wall and closed his eyes. He felt like he was sleeping for hours when suddenly, John heard someone shrieking. He was awakened abruptly and as he opened his eyes; a cold, metal hand grabs his neck and strangles him like a vice grip. It was a machine without its skin. It lifted John as high as it was, with his feet not touching ground. He struggled to break loose, trying to reach the shot gun beside him. But it was too far. He looked into the machine's glowing red eyes as he gasped for air. John knew at that time that he was going to die. There was no escape.

"John? John!" He can barely hear the voice calling his name. John opened his eyes; his vision was a bit blurry. He tried to remember where he was. The person in front of him is holding him by his shoulder.

"Take it easy." Said a woman's voice.

He can now see clearly, it was a face that he thought he would never see again.

"Am I dead?" Asked John sitting up.

Sarah gave a minute smile and answered, "No."

The sun was already shining through the living room window. There was a momentary silence between them. Sarah was looking at John who was staring down at the floor. Throwing a glance at Sarah but immediately looking away. Sarah broke the silence and said with an air of bliss.

"You look like you could use some breakfast. I made pancakes."

"Sometimes I think about how I developed a strong aversion towards pancakes. I realized now, that you've been feeding me that for the past twenty two years." He said seriously then smiled at Sarah. She smiled back and said, "Next time I'll cook something else."

John reverted back to seriousness again.

"But this past two years, I've been wishing that I could eat something that you've cooked. I don't care if it's pancakes everyday." He said in a low voice and stared at the floor once more.

Sarah seems to be searching for words but found herself speechless. Then John suddenly spoke.

"How's your shoulder? He looked at her.

"It's fine. You know the pancakes are getting cold." She added after a brief pause. They both laughed gently.

John was staring blankly at a boiling liquid inside a beaker.

"Mr. Baum?" Called the teacher with the glasses.

"John." Said the girl seated in front of him. John looked at her, she pointed at the man calling him. He turned to look and said, "Yes?"

"Are you still with us?" Please wear your safety goggles and stay focused." The teacher said.

"Sorry." Replied John and hasten to wear the goggles.

Some of his classmates laughed at him.

"Are you okay?" Asked the girl in front of him.

"Yeah. I'm fine." He said to her.

She said nothing and continued what they were doing. John was thinking for a while and said, "Cheri, um-"He couldn't finish his words.

Cheri looked at him, waiting.

"Never mind." Said John and pretended to write something on his notebook. The bell rang.

"We will continue this experiment on Friday." The teacher said amidst the students bustling out of the classroom. Cheri looked at John who was gathering his books and stuffing it inside his bag. She seemed dismayed.

"I'll see you later." John said to her and hurried out of the room.

Sarah was standing in the kitchen, talking to someone on the cell phone.

"Where is he now?" She said. "Find out where he's going. We can't lose him until we find the Turk." Sarah continued then hangs up. Cameron showed up with her face and arms good as new, except for a missing human eye. All in all she looked the same as before. Sarah, with a surprised look on her face, asked Cameron.

"How did you do that? Did you-Please tell me you didn't kidnap a plastic surgeon and killed him after."

Cameron looked at her like it was insulting.

"No I didn't. Reconstructive surgery is a new program added to the T-9 series. So we can repair ourselves without any assistance." She informed Sarah.

"T-9? So Cromartie being a T-888 means-." Sarah asked curiously.

"Means he needs someone to fix him." Cameron said.

Sarah regaining composure after a slight shock said, " You need to put something over that eye, an eye patch perhaps? John can't see you like this." She said.

"John already saw me." Cameron said.

"I meant the other John. He might pass out again if he sees you like that." Sarah said to her. "He said your name when he saw you. Does he know you?" Asked Sarah.

"I don't know." Replied Cameron.

"Have you been in this year before?" Sarah asked her again.

"No. My mission was to find you in the year 1999." Cameron told her.

"How come you didn't tell us about him, the other John?" Inquired Sarah.

"John didn't tell me anything about himself on this year 2007. Where he was, what he did." Explained Cameron.

Sarah took a moment to think about what Cameron told her.

"I have a sunglasses on my bag, I think it's dark enough to cover that. Wear it, and then go find an eye patch." She instructed to Cameron.

"Why can't I just wear the sunglasses?" Asked Cameron.

"Because your eyes will still be visible from the sides. Besides you will need an excuse when you get back to school, until you find an eye. I'll write them a note saying you have an eye infection." Explained Sarah.

"I can acquire an eye right now. I just need to find someone who's a match to my eye color." Cameron said bluntly.

Sarah looked at her furiously. But before she can retaliate Cameron said, "I'm just kidding. Maybe your friend, Charley can help me find an eye." She added.

Sarah was stunned again by Cameron's unusual behavior. Cameron heads toward Sarah's room, when Sarah called her back.

"Cameron. While you're out, can you get the car back from Whitsett Ave. and pick up John at school. And remember what I told you.' She said.

"I understand." Cameron replied then she left.

"Good." Sarah said to herself.

Sarah walks out the back porch. She found John sitting on the swing, looking down at the grass beneath his feet. Sarah moved closer behind him.

"Hey." She said then sits at the other swing beside him. John looks at her smiling.

"Hey." He said.

"I hope you're staying." Said Sarah.

"I don't know. I'm not sure." He said looking away from Sarah. He took a deep breath before continuing.

"I always have this feeling, an urge to move around, to run. I can't seem to stay in one place. I tried, but people keep dying around me when I try to settle in a place I thought I was safe." He said dimly.

"It's not your fault." She said. He looks at Sarah sullenly.

"Maybe it is." John said. Sarah stared at her son, searching for words that can comfort him but she can offer none. They sat in silence before John broke it and said, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Asked Sarah.

John hesitated, recollecting what he was saying sorry for.

"I said something to you that I really, really regret." John said.

"I'm sure you didn't mean it." She said.

"At that time I did. And I broke your heart." He said trying to hold back his tears.

"I'm sorry for causing all of this. For making your life miserable." John said as he looked back down at the grass beneath his feet. Sarah stood up, walked in front of him and kneeled. She held his hand and said, "John look at me." Sarah tries to catch his eyes. He slowly looked into Sarah's eyes. It was a moment John has been wishing for, to look into his mother's eyes once more. Those kind, warm green eyes, that brings him comfort and hope. Sarah holds her son's face with both hands and said,

"If I can go back in time, the time Kyle Reese told me that I will bear a son and carry humanity's hope. Even if it means sacrificing my whole life protecting him, I wouldn't change path, I wouldn't change anything." She said sincerely and embraced John. He cried on her shoulders and held her tight. John didn't want to let go, fearing that he'll wake up from a dream.

John was walking in front of the school, on his way home when someone called him.

"Hey John wait up!"

He turned around and saw that it was Morris jogging to catch up with him.

"Where's your sister, bro?" Asked Morris.

"At home, she's sick. Why?" Said John.

"She's sick? Is she okay?" Morris asked consecutively.

"Calm down, she's fine. She just had a-." He didn't finish what he was saying when he saw Cameron stopped the car in front of them.

"Get in." Cameron said to John.

"-an eye infection." He continued saying to Morris.

"See you later man." He said to Morris who was just standing there staring at Cameron.

John gets in the car and they drove away.

"Looks like you've never been in an explosion." John said while looking at Cameron's face. "Looks good." He added.

"Thank you." Said Cameron not taking her eyes off the road.

"Morris was looking for you." Said John grinning.

"Why?" Asked Cameron.

"I don't know. He probably wants to talk to you about Prom." He answered.

"What is a 'prom'? "Cameron asked mechanically.

"It's a school dance. You go with a partner or a date, dress up in nice suits and gowns." Explained John.

"What do you do there?" She asked.

John shakes his head in frustration and said, "You dance. Do you know what 'dance' is?" He asked.

"Yes. But what kind?" Cameron asked. John didn't say anything.

"There are many kinds of dances. Jazz dance, Flamenco, Foxtrot, Tango, Swing, Salsa, Samba, Ballet,-" Cameron was enumerating when John butted in.

"The cool kind." He said.

"Who are you going with?" Asked Cameron.

John looked at Cameron curiously.

"No one." He said slightly irritated.

"But you said you needed a partner to go to the prom." She said looking at John.

"Look, if this is you just trying to make conversation? Please just drop it." John slightly losing his temper. Cameron didn't say anything else. After a few seconds of silence, John suddenly said,

"I'm not going to the prom."

"That's too bad. Your Chem partner asked me who you're going with. I think she wants to go with you." Said Cameron.

"Cheri asked you?" He asked.

"Yes." She said.

"When? What did you say?" John asked eagerly.

"The other day. I said I don't know." Replied Cameron.

John smiled and didn't say a word for the rest of the drive.

Sarah walked in the kitchen and saw John chopping some onions.

"What are you doing?" Asked Sarah with a smile on her face. John looked at her and said, "Cooking dinner."

Sarah leans back on the kitchen sink and folded her arms, still smiling at John.

"You do really hate my cooking." She said.

"No. I just think you should rest your shoulder for now." Said John.

When suddenly the door opened, Cameron and John came in. John who was still chopping onions, stopped and stared at Cameron. She looked back at him before heading to her room. The John who just arrived, drops his bag on the living room table and walks in the kitchen.

"How's the shoulder?" He asked Sarah.

"Good." She said. Then John turned his attention to the other John, who was still staring blankly at where Cameron was.

"Smells great." He said. The other John looked at him, recovering himself.

"It's pasta." He said smiling. "It's your favorite. Right?" He added. John and Sarah Laughed.

Cromartie walks inside an abandoned building holding a silver metal case. He placed it on an old, dusty table. He stares on a wall, his eyes glowed red. His HUD shows his new target for termination. It was the face of a man he saw at the storage facility. It was the older John Connor.

Sarah and the two Johns were eating at the dining table. It was a euphoric atmosphere.

"Where did you learn how to cook?" John asked the older him.

"Someone taught me." He said.

"Probably wasn't me." Sarah said smiling. Both Johns laughed.

"Oh I forgot, I have something for you." John said to his younger self. He stood up and left the table. He came back carrying a black box and handed it to John. The older John sits back at the table and said, "I know it's late but happy birthday anyway."

John was surprised and uttered, "Thanks." He opened it, it was an Ipod.

"You bought it for him?" Asked Sarah.

"Well I actually bought it for me." He said smiling, "I figured he was still listening to an old fashioned CD player."

They laughed again, suddenly, someone burst through the door.

"We have a problem." It was Derek. The smile on his face faded when the older John saw Derek. He reached for his gun behind his back, stood up and pointed it to Derek. Derek instinctively did the same.

"John no!" Yelled Sarah and rushed to stop him from shooting Derek.

"He's a machine! He killed them!" He said with anger in his eyes.

"What? No, he's with us. He's not a machine." Said Sarah. John lowered his gun. "You might trust him. But not me." He said seriously.

Derek, who was still pointing his gun at John, was stunned by what he heard.

The four of them stood there staring, trying to figure out each other. Derek slowly lowered his gun.

"John I didn't do anything." Said Derek.

"How did you-?" It was Sarah who spoke.

"Know who he is? He looks just like his father." He said.

"Kyle." Uttered Sarah. Derek looked at John and said, "Whatever it is that you're blaming me for, I didn't do it. This is the first time that I've seen you." Said Derek.

John stares at Derek suspiciously.

"John?" Said Sarah. The younger John stood speechless, listening to them. The other john looks at Sarah, then heads to the living room. "John!" Sarah tries to call him back then follows him in the living room. John takes his things, his jacket, visor and bag, from the couch; and turns to leave. Sarah stands in his way trying to prevent him from leaving.

"Can you please tell me what's going on?" Asked Sarah then holds him by his arm.

"I can't stay here." He said sadly to her. "My past is catching up to me." John added. Sarah was thinking of something to say when Derek interrupted them.

"I hate to break this up but this is important too. Sarkissian's flying out the country." He said to Sarah ignoring John.

"What? Did you find out where?" Asked Sarah obviously bothered by Derek's news.

"Armenia. He didn't mention anything about the Turk. But he had a meeting with a man named Alexander Volkov." Derek informed Sarah. She turned to face John and said, "I can't let you leave until you've explained everything to me."

John didn't say anything neither did he move. Sarah took it as a sign that he was staying.

"I need to talk to Agent Ellison, see if he can do something to stop Sarkissian." She told Derek.

"He'll be leaving two days from now." Derek said, "I'll follow him again, maybe I'll find out anything about the Turk." He added then left. Sarah thinks for a second then said, "Stay here both of you." Looking at both Johns.

"I'll go with you." Said the older John.

"No." She said.

"Then I won't be here when you get back." John tells Sarah.

Sarah looked at the younger John.

"Well I can't stop him." He told her.

The other John looked at her like she didn't have any choice.

"I guess I'll drive." He said.

Cameron shows up in the living room.

"Good you're here. We're going to Agent Ellison's house. You, stay here with John." Sarah said to Cameron.

"Which John?" She asked.

Sarah seemed amused rather than annoyed.

"The younger John." She said.

The other John doesn't look at Cameron this time, he just stared at Sarah.

"Come on, let's go." Sarah told him. They were inside the car when John spoke.

"Every time I see her, she reminds me everything about my past."

"Cameron?" Asked Sarah, "How do you know her?" She added.

"I don't know 'her'." John said.

"I don't understand." Said Sarah. John looked at her and said,

"I don't know her but I know the real Cameron Phillips."

Sarah stared at her son as they drive down the road.


	5. Chapter 5 Marca de Guerra

Chapter 5 "Marca de Guerra"

As people start their day with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee and a scrumptious serving of bacon and eggs, Sarah Connor bustled around Uncle Ben's Diner serving early morning patrons and cleaning up tables.

"Your fiancé's here." A short and stubby woman said to Sarah. Sarah looked over at the table and saw that it was an old man with a beard.

"It's Mr. Timms. He says he loves Uncle Ben's Peach Cobbler." She said to the stubby woman.

"He does, but before you were here he comes twice a week. Twice. Now he's here every day." Said the stubby waitress. Sarah just smiled at her and heads to the table where Mr. Timms was sitting.

"Good morning Mr. Timms, what can I get you today?" Sarah said beaming. The old man smiled at her.

"A plate of my favorite Peach Cobbler." He said.

"Of course. How's your grandson?" Sarah asked.

"He's wonderful. That boy is becoming more and more like his father." Said Mr. Timms delightedly.

"Your son must be very proud of him." She said. The old man just smiled and said to her.

"Before you go, I want you to have this." He handed Sarah a gold necklace with a bullet-shaped pendant.

"I can't accept this." Trying to return the necklace. But the old man insisted.

"My wife gave it to me. She said that it symbolizes the bullet that I'm willing to take for my country." He explained.

That's why I can't accept it. It's important to you." Said Sarah.

"I see her in you. Your courage and your love for your son. Raising him on your own, just like what she did when I was not around." Mr. Timms said. Sarah looked at him speechless. The old man smiled at her.

"Thank you." Was all that Sarah could say.

"Now my Peach Cobbler?" He asked still smiling.

Sarah beamed at him and nodded.

Sarah and John are on their way to Agent Ellison's house. As John drove, Sarah was firing questions at him.

"Can you please explain to me how you're connected to Cameron? I asked her about you, she said she doesn't know anything about the John Connor of this time."

"She's right. She doesn't know me. The Cameron at your house is a machine. The one I knew isn't." John said. "It's a long story." He added.

Cameron is sitting on a stool watching John trying to finish decrypting Sarkissian's hard drive. John looked at her hesitantly then said,

"When mom asked you to watch 'John', you asked which one." Cameron stared at him.

"Why? Why did you have to ask? Aren't we the same?" He continued.

"You are the mission priority. I don't have orders to protect him." Cameron said bluntly.

"What?" John was stunned by what he heard.

"John knew the possibility of having two John Connors at the same time. So he programmed me to choose the younger John over the older ones." She explained.

"But what if Cromartie or any machine finds us? You'll just, what, take me to a safe place then leave him to fend for himself?" He asked somewhat enraged.

"If that's what I have to do. I can't do anything about it." Cameron said.

John felt fear and pity for the other John as he pondered whether Cameron will ever learn to value human life even if it's not her mission.

Sarah flips the door sign to 'CLOSE' and locks the door. The diner was empty and the other staff were preparing to head home. Sarah arranges the chairs on each table. The owner of the diner was sitting at a table doing some paperwork. It was an old, burly man wearing glasses. Sarah approached him.

"More coffee, Mr. Clarke?" Offered Sarah.

The old man looked up at her and said, "Ah, Yes please." And smiled at her. Sarah heads to the counter and grabs the coffee pot and walks back to Mr. Clarke's table.

"I guess I'll leave the coffee maker on for tonight." Sarah said as she filled the cup. The old man smiled at her.

"I need to finish this tonight. My granddaughter is coming home tomorrow from New York." He said to Sarah.

"That's great. I'm sure you're very excited to see her." She said merrily. He takes off his glasses and rests his eyes for a while.

"We're having dinner tomorrow night and I'd really appreciate it if you and John can join us." He said to Sarah. Sarah was taken aback by his invitation.

"Mr. Clarke, I uh-"Sarah seemed uncertain on what to say.

"Call me Benjamin or Ben." He told Sarah smiling, "I haven't seen John for quite a while." He added.

Sarah gave a feeble smile.

"He's been busy."

Ben stared at her and noticed that she looked tired.

"Sarah, you should get some rest. I'll be here late, so I'll close up." He told Sarah. Sarah nodded and moved to place the coffee pot back at the counter.

"Tomorrow night 7 o'clock, I want to see that boy." He said smiling.

"I'll tell him." She smiled back.

Sarah and John arrived at Agent Ellison's house, but he wasn't home. Sarah tried to call him on his phone but no one's answering. John was peeking at the window.

"Who's this man you call Sarkissian?" Inquired John. Sarah puts the cell phone in her jacket pocket.

"He bought a computer called the Turk. Presently it plays chess but in the future-"She was saying. "It becomes Skynet." John said realizing something.

"Who built it?" He asked.

"His name's Andy Goode. He was a former intern at Cyberdyne." Answered Sarah sadly.

"We have to find him, he can help us." Said John.

"He can't help us." She said.

"Why not? He can stop it." John said fiercely.

"He's dead. He died before I can tell him about the future." Said Sarah.

John looked crest fallen and bowed his head.

"A few years after you blew up Cyberdyne, I thought we ended it. I thought we stopped Skynet. That we can finally have a normal life." He said. Sarah looked at her son with deep sympathy.

"I'm sorry." She said to him. John looked at her and said, "I'm not blaming you."

A young woman inside a cab sticks her head out the window.

"How long will it take?" She asked the driver who was busy checking the smoking engine.

"I don't know yet. If you want I can call someone to pick you up." The driver said.

"No thanks. It's not that far anyway, I'll just walk." She then grabs her purse beside her and steps out of the cab. The driver went to open the trunk and took the baggage out for her.

"I'm sorry ma'am." He said.

"It's okay." She said taking her wallet out of her bag.

"Here." Handing him the fare.

"No it's not necessary." The driver said refusing to take the money.

"Please I insist." The young woman said. The driver finally took the money and said, "Thank you."

She smiled at him then pulled the handle of her baggage and wheeled it behind her. She was just a couple of feet away from the broken down cab when a black 1968 Mustang GT went past and stopped a few feet in front of her. The driver stepped out of the car and walked towards her. It was a tall, good looking guy with warm green eyes.

"Can I give you a ride?" He asked smiling.

She looked at the road ahead, seeing that it was still a long way, said. "I'll take that offer."

He smiled and asked," Where are you headed?" He then takes the luggage and puts it in the trunk.

"Can you just drop me off at the diner ahead?" She said, "It's not that far from here." She added.

"Uncle Ben's Diner." He said as he closed the trunk.

"Yeah. That's it." The young woman said as she walked towards the passenger side. She didn't notice that the guy followed and opened the door for her. To her amazement, she was just able to say, "Thanks." And stepped inside the car.

"Do you live around here?" She asked him as they drove off.

"Yeah. Just three blocks from the diner." He said.

"Oh I see." The young woman said. A moment of silence passed between them. The guy suddenly spoke.

"Are you visiting someone?" He asked.

"Yeah. I am." She replied.

"Well while you're here, you should check out Uncle Ben's. They make the best Peach Cobbler in the whole world." He said enthusiastically.

"Maybe I will." She said to him.

"I'm John by the way." He looked at her and smiled.

"Cameron." She said and smiled weakly.

A luxurious hallway leads to a finely made Mahogany door. A man carrying a shiny, black Halliburton attaché enters the room behind the Mahogany door. Two men are already inside it, a scrawny man sat in a handsome leather office chair behind a desk. The other stands in front of him. The man who just entered placed the briefcase on the desk and left. The man sitting on the chair spoke.

"Once I'm out of the country, deal with the problem immediately. He must be eliminated so we can go further with our plan." He told the man standing in front of him, as the man took the briefcase from the desk.

"When he's gone, take his place, assume his identity." The man sitting added.

"And the Turk?" Asked the man holding the briefcase.

"Give it to them. Gain their trust. Now go." He said to him.

As the man turned to leave, his eyes glowed red. A decorative mirror on the wall of the office reflected his image. He resembled a very familiar face, the face of Derek Reese.


	6. Chapter 6 Knowing Cameron

Chapter 6 "Knowing Cameron"

The road home was smooth, trouble-free; there was no traffic. John drives steadily as Sarah sat in the passenger seat quietly reflecting. She noticed that they were going a little too fast.

"John slow down." Said Sarah.

John seemed to ignore her. Sarah heard a police siren. She looked at the rear view mirror and saw that it was a police riding a motorcycle. But instead of staying behind them, the police man sped up beside the car. To John and Sarah's horror, it was the police man they thought they'd never see again. It was the T-1000 that was sent to kill John ten years ago when Sarah broke out of Pescadero. The machine pulled a 9mm and pointed it to John. Upon seeing it, John shouted at Sarah.

"Mom get down!" As the machine fired at them, John shielded Sarah by pulling her down, tucking her head. The window shattered as the bullets pierced through it. John was hit at his left shoulder and at his lower back. They swerved through the road as he struggled to regain control of the wheel. The T-1000 was reloading his gun as he stayed close to the car. John turned the wheel with force all the way to the left and rammed the motorcycle off to the railing. As a result of the impact, the car swerved off the side of the road and smashed into the light post. Sarah was bleeding from her forehead, she looked at John who was unconscious, bleeding next to her.

"John?" As she turned John's head to face her. She caught a glimpse of the T-1000 on the side mirror walking towards them. Sarah grabbed the shotgun at the backseat. The T-1000 seized John by his jacket, Sarah shot him twice and left two big silver holes on his face that quickly disappeared. The machine stared at her then pulled John through the window and threw him in the middle of the road.

"John!" Screamed Sarah as she hastens to step out of the car. The T-1000 stood over John's body and pointed the gun at him.

"No!" Sarah screamed helplessly and tried to run towards John but her feet felt a ton heavier. A deafening sound of a gunshot whirled through her ears. She reached John's lifeless body and kneeled beside it. Sarah cradled her son's head on her arms and cried calling his name. As she looked up at the T-1000, she felt its hand around her neck. The machine looked into her eyes without any remorse. Sarah felt numb and didn't have the will to fight back.

"It's no use." She said to herself, "It's all over."

"Mom." She heard a voice said. Sarah jolted awake from her sleep.

"A machine. There's a mach-" She babbled in confusion.

"Mom it's okay." Said the voice.

"You fell asleep. We're home." As Sarah regained clarity, she saw that it was John and the car was already parked in the garage.

"Bad dream?" Asked John.

"I'm fine." She said holding her head.

"You should get some rest." John said to her. Sarah nodded and they both stepped out of the car.

Cameron was standing guard, looking through the kitchen window. The younger John was sitting on the living room sofa.

"They're here." Cameron said. John stood up and went towards the door. Sarah and the other John entered.

"How did it go?" John asked them.

"We weren't able to talk to him." It was the older John who answered him. Sarah went directly to her room without saying a word. John looked at the older John questioningly.

"She's just tired." He said to him.

Sarah sat down on the edge of her bed trying to hold back the tears. The pressure of stopping Skynet has mounted to another level. As her fears keeps haunting her in her dreams. The image of John, lifeless, is unbearable for her as a mother.

John parks the black Mustang in the driveway, steps out and goes inside the house. Sarah was in her room looking at a photograph. It was a photo of John when he was five. She stares at it with deep yearning.

"Mom?" Sarah heard someone call from the living room. She found John rummaging through the fridge and straightened up holding a glass of orange juice.

"Hey." Sarah said. John turned to face her, placed the glass of juice on the table and embraced her.

"I'm sorry I haven't been here lately." He said softly over her shoulder. As John let go, Sarah holds his face with both hands and said,

"I'm glad that you're here." John smiled at her then takes the glass of juice and drinks it.

"I left you a couple of messages about the dinner with Mr. Clarke. Why aren't you answering your phone?" Asked Sarah.

"A couple? More like seven messages." He said smiling, Sarah smiled back.

"The important thing is I'm here, right? How's Uncle Ben?" John said.

"He misses you." She told John. He stares at Sarah for a moment.

"I miss the old man too." He said. Sarah looks at her watch and said,

"We need to go. We can't be late."

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to tick him off. He's scary when he's mad." Said John grinning.

The two Johns were sitting at the dining table having breakfast. They were both laughing at something that they were talking about, when the younger John asked the other John.

"What does it mean?"

"Huh?" Said the older John.

"The tattoo on your wrist, what does it mean?" The younger John said. The older John looked at his wrist then said,

"It's Hebrew. It means-"

"It means 'Sarah'." It was Cameron who spoke after emerging from the living room. The two Johns stared at her.

"What else do you know about it?" The older John asked.

"You got that tattoo, December 7, 2005. Along with that big angel wings on your back with the words 'Ángel de la guardia' tattooed below it." Cameron was saying when the older John interrupted her.

"Okay. You know everything about it." Realizing that it was a mistake to ask her. The younger John was looking at him in awe.

"Can I see it?" He asked.

"You should go, you'll be late for school." The older John said to him. The younger John was grinning as he stands and grabs his bag from the kitchen counter. Cameron shouldered hers and went outside.

"John! Don't get a tattoo just yet." The older John said to him.

"I knew you would say that." Said the younger john then left.

Amidst the group of people mourning the loss of a friend, a family, a comrade; Agent Ellison stood strongly looking at Agent Simpson's coffin being lowered into the grave. As people left, Agent Ellison saw a tall man standing from a far. It was an indistinct figure but he was sure of it, it was Kester. He closed his eyes as if trying to make sure he wasn't dreaming it. When he looked again, the man was gone.

Sarah walked in the kitchen sluggishly, and saw John washing the dishes.

"Hey." She said to him. John looked over his shoulder.

"Good morning. You alright?" Said John.

"I'm good." Sarah answered; she walked past him and seated herself in the dining chair.

"Coffee or juice?" Offered John. Sarah smiled and said,

"Coffee please. Thanks." John poured some coffee on a mug and carefully handed it to her.

"So do you have anything planned for today?" He asked Sarah.

"I don't usually plan." She said after taking a sip of coffee. John didn't say anything as he leaned back on the kitchen sink.

"Why? Do you have a plan?" Asked Sarah.

"Why don't we go for a walk? Let's go to the park." John said. Sarah smiled and said,

"You don't have to cheer me up John. I told you I'm fine."

"When you say 'I'm fine', it can mean a lot of things like 'I'm worried but I don't want you to know it' or 'I'm sad but I don't want to show it' or 'I'm scared but I don't want anyone to see it." John said casually. Sarah stared at her son.

"Okay, let's go for a walk." She said. John smiled at her.

John and Sarah walks through the grass enjoying the view around.

"You haven't changed." Said Sarah while looking at her son.

"What d'you mean?" Asked John.

"Your eyes. They always light up when you're at the park especially when I take you to the playground." Sarah said reminiscent of the past.

"I don't know. I guess they make me feel safe." John said as he walked ahead and sat on the park bench. Sarah stood still for a moment then followed to sit beside him. They sat in silence, as Sarah looked at some kids running around the park.

"Mom." Said John who was looking at her.

"Yes?" She turned to face him. John hesitated and seemed lost for words.

"Nothing." He said. Sarah knew that he wanted to say something but can't find the courage to say it.

"You said you were gonna tell me about Cameron." Deciding to change the topic.

"John told me that you always make fun of Cameron." John said as they both smiled.

"Not always. Just every time that she say or does inhumane things." Said Sarah.

"You're trying to make her human." He said.

"No, I'm just trying to teach her to value human life." She said seriously.

"It's funny because technically you don't know Cameron but you've always liked her." John told Sarah. She listened intently.

"After you and Miles Dyson blew up Cyberdyne, we went into hiding. Lived in different places every month, just to be sure. I can't even remember how many addresses we had." He said then laughed. Sarah couldn't resist to smile.

"Then finally you decided to stay in one place. In Spring Valley, Nevada. You got a job at a diner." John was saying.

"Why am I not surprised." Said Sarah. John was in high spirits as he told Sarah about how he knew Cameron.

"The owner, an old man, he liked you. He told me that you were like a daughter to him. I loved that old man. Everyone calls him Uncle Ben. His wife, Elizabeth, died of Leukemia in 1997. Then his only daughter died in a car accident back in '88, her husband died as well. But their daughter, Uncle Ben's granddaughter survived. He raised her on his own." He said.

"Cameron." Uttered Sarah.

It was an elegant façade of a house and a door with a brass knocker. Sarah and John stood in front of it, waiting for someone to answer them. John was holding a bottle of wine while Sarah looked at him smiling as he tried to fix his hair and his shirt. He finally noticed Sarah.

"What?" John asked.

"You look fine." Said Sarah.

"I'm just fixing – never mind." He said, his face turned a little shade of red. The door opened and revealed a tall, burly old man who was overjoyed when he saw his guests.

"John!" He said with open arms then gave John a bear hug.

"Uncle Ben!" John said with difficulty in breathing. Then he let go of John and said, "Come in, come in." As he welcomed Sarah, she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks for having us." Said Sarah.

"I'm so glad that you and John can join us." Said the old man as Sarah stepped inside.

"We got you something." John said handing Uncle Ben the bottle of wine.

"Wow, you shouldn't have." Ben said.

"It's not that expensive." John said smiling.

"The price doesn't matter to me." The old man smiled back.

"Grandpa?" Called a woman's voice from upstairs.

"Our guests are here." Said Uncle Ben. A second later they heard someone coming down the stairs. John turned and saw a young woman he knew, someone he just met.

"Sarah, John I'd like you to meet my grand daughter, Cameron." He said to them as the young woman cling onto his arms.

"Hi. I've heard so much about you." Said Sarah and shakes Cameron's hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. Thanks for joining us." Said a beaming Cameron, then she looked at John and said,

"Hi. Do you remember me?"

"Hey." Said John looking dumbfounded.

"You've met before?" Asked Uncle Ben curiously.

"Yeah." They both said.

"He gave me a ride to the diner when my cab broke down." Cameron said looking at John. He stared at her, as Cameron looked away red-faced.


	7. Chapter 7 Gospel of John

Chapter 7 "Gospel of John"

"Then a great and mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a woman, whose dress was the sun and who had the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was soon to give birth and the pains and suffering of child birth made her cry out. Another mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and a crown on each of his heads. With his tail he dragged a third of the stars out of the sky and threw them down to the earth. He stood in front of the woman, in order to eat her child as soon as it was born. Then she gave birth to a son, who will rule over all nations with an iron rod.." Said Agent Ellison who was reading from a bible in his hands, seated in a circle of people listening intently. After finishing a couple of verses, he sat quietly in his seat as a woman from the group reads another verse. Reflecting on the verses that he just read, it felt surreal and made him realize something. He needed to help Sarah now more than ever.

Sarah steps on the porch followed by John.

"I need to see someone, you should stay here." Sarah said to John.

"Who, Ellison?" He asked.

"No. Someone else. Just stay here and wait for John and Cameron." She told him.

"I'm not good at babysitting." John said with a grin on his face. Sarah smiled at him.

"It's not that hard. Besides, you'll get to see how stubborn you are." She said to him. John smiled at her and said in a serious tone,

"Sure you don't want me to go with you?"

""Don't worry, I'll be fine." Assured Sarah. John nodded and they went inside the house.

John was stuffing his books in his locker when Cameron approached him.

"Can I get one?" She said to him.

"What?" Asked John closing his locker.

"A tattoo. Can I get one?" Said Cameron. He looked at her in amazement.

"I don't know, maybe." John said as he walked to his next class, Cameron followed him.

"Why do you want to get a tattoo?" John asked smirking.

"It looks cool." Cameron answered.

"I want a butterfly." She added. John looked at her, grinning.

"A butterfly?" He asked Cameron.

"Yes. I saw it on a girl after gym class. It looks cool." She said mechanically.

"I can't wait for mom to hear you say that." John said laughing, and then he saw Cheri standing by her locker. He walked towards her and left Cameron standing near the drinking fountain.

"Hey Cheri." Said John. She looked at him trying to balance the things that she was carrying.

"John, hey." Cheri said to him.

"Let me help you with that." He said taking her things.

"Thanks." She said and gave a weak smile.

"Off to your next class?" John asked as they walked.

"Yeah." She answered.

"Um, Cheri-" John was thinking of what he should say.

"I was wondering if you would like to go to the prom with me." He finally gets to say it. She smiled at him but was evidently surprised and delighted at the same time.

"Sure. Yeah I'd love to." Said Cheri. John smiled and felt relieved as he walked with her down the corridor.

Sarah was driving when her cell phone rang.

"Hello?" She answered. It was John on the other line.

"Mom, I'm just going out for a minute." He said.

"Where are you going?" Sarah asked.

"I'm just gonna go for a walk. Breathe some fresh air. Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it." Said John.

"Okay, but be careful." She told John.

"You be careful, wherever you're going. Bye." He said.

"Bye." Sarah said then hangs up. She wondered where John was going. Sarah parked the car on the side of the road, and walked towards the food court beside the Valley Square mall. She approached a man seated in one of the tables with his back towards her. Sarah rushed to sit on the vacant seat from across him.

"This won't take long, just give me a minute." She said quickly.

"Sarah-"The man said.

"I need a favor. It's for Cameron." Sarah continued, ignoring him.

"Slow down. Wait, did you say Cameron? The machine in your house?" He asked.

"Yes." Answered Sarah.

"I didn't want to drag you into this, again. I swear this will be the last that you'll hear from me." She added.

"Sarah it's okay. Tell me." He said. Sarah took a deep breath before speaking.

"This is going to sound crazy but Cameron needs an eye." Sarah said feeling a little awkward.

"What? An- I don't know if I can help. But-"The man said, Sarah thinks for a second then said,

"You're right. You can't help. I don't know what I was thinking, I'm sorry." Sarah said then stands up to leave.

"Wait! Can you just tell me what's going on? Did something happened?" The man asked.

"I'm sorry I called you. Forget all about this Charley." She said without looking at him then walked away.

John entered the house followed by Cameron.

"Hey. Anybody home?" Called John and he heard a dog barking coming from the back of the house. John went to investigate as Cameron stayed close behind him. They reached the back porch, the bark grew louder. John opened the door and saw a large dog running towards him.

"Dorothy! No!" Yelled a man's voice. The dog stopped in front of them still barking. John saw who it was; the other John was standing beside the swing.

"Heel!" He yelled and the dog runs back to him. John stepped down the stairs and onto the grass. Cameron stayed near the door watching them.

"She's a great watch dog." The younger John said as he scratched the dog's chin.

"Is she yours?" He asked.

"Yeah. I got her two years ago." Said the older John.

"And now I'm giving her to you." He added. The younger John looked at him.

"But- why?" Aren't you staying?" John asked.

"I'm not sure, we'll see." The older John said. The younger John stared at him sadly then looked at the large black and tan dog with pointed ears.

"Well you have to teach her not to bark at Cameron all the time." The older John said smiling.

"Mom will get so annoyed from all the barking, she might have to throw her out." The younger John said.

"Dorothy?" Asked the other John.

"No. Cameron." Replied john and they both laughed.

The park was filled with people playing catch with their pets; some were jogging and riding their bike. And for some they just sat in the grass relaxing and enjoying the view. Like a couple who sat under a tall tree lounging in the shade it provided. John had his arms around a woman who was leaning back on his chest; she was holding a digital camera, taking pictures of them.

"Say cheese cake!" She said as she snapped another photo. Then she looked at the LCD and browsed through the pictures.

"Which ones do you like? The goofy one or this?" She asked showing John the images.

"I like both of them." Said John.

"Yeah me too." The woman said and she stared at the picture.

"John?" She said.

"Yes?" Replied John.

"I told you that that I'm going back to New York by next week, school starts in three weeks." Said the woman, John didn't say anything.

"Will you come and visit me?" She said.

"I've decided to move to New York. Find a job, so I can be with you." John said seriously. She sat up and faced him.

"What about your mom?" She asked.

"She'll understand." He said to her.

"You haven't told her?' Asked the woman.

"Not yet. I'm still looking for the right time." Said John.

"Maybe tonight's the right time to tell her." She said, John looked at her questioningly.

"Your mom invited me to dinner. Well me and grand pa." She told John.

"Maybe I will." He said to her. The woman embraced John tightly as he stared blankly, looking worried.

Sarah parked the car in the garage and went straight inside the house.

"John?" Called Sarah as she entered the living room. She heads to the back porch and saw Cameron blocking the door looking at someone outside.

"What's going on?" Asked Sarah as she approached her.

"John's teaching Dorothy not to bark at me." Explained Cameron without looking at her.

"What? Dorothy?" She asked looking over Cameron's shoulder to see who she was talking about. Sarah stepped outside and smiled as she moved closer.

"Hey." The older John said upon seeing her. She stands beside him looking at the younger John playing with the dog.

"Dorothy? From the Wizard of Oz?" Asked Sarah, John smiled.

"Well, I can't name her 'Toto'" He said.

"And the guys from the pound where I got her told me that they rescued her after the tornado." He added.

"Really?" Said Sarah.

"She saved my life. Twice. Warned me about the machine that was after me." He told Sarah.

"You have a triple eight on you?" Sarah said sounding concerned.

"I'm not sure what model it was but I haven't seen it for a year now." Informed John.

"That was the machine you were talking about. The one you thought was Derek." She said.

"John told me that he was Kyle's older brother. And then I saw Cameron, I realized that Skynet sends machines who looked like someone I knew, someone I have a connection with." He said dimly.

Sarah stood speechless beside him.

A black Lincoln inter continental is parked outside a building. Derek cautiously walks towards it. He looked around before sliding underneath the car then placed a C4 charge on it and slides out, looked around again before walking away.

Sarah was helping the older John prepare for dinner when her cell phone rang.

"Derek?" Said Sarah, listening to the person on the other line.

"Where are you?" She said to him.

"I have good news. Sarkissian's dead." Said Derek.

"What? What about the Turk?" Sarah said, shocked by what she just heard. After a few seconds of talking to Derek, she hangs up. John looked at her and asked,

"Mom, what is it?"

The younger John walked in on them holding some papers, followed by Cameron.

"Mom you need to take a look at this. What's wrong?" He asked when he saw Sarah looking worried.

"What is it?" She said holding out her hand, John handed her the documents.

"Remember him? The man in the photo along with yours and Dmitri's? I found out who he was, there was a file on Sarkissian's hard drive. His name is Alexander Volkov." Said John.

"Volkov, I've heard that before." Sarah said.

"He had a meeting with that man, Sarkissian." The older John spoke.

"Derek told us remember?" The younger John said when Sarah looked confused.

"Volkov is an advance weapons dealer wanted by the U.S and British government." Explained the younger John.

"Derek's right, we have a big problem." Said Sarah anxiously.

"He called? What did he say?" Asked the younger John.

"Sarkissian's dead. Someone blew up his car." Explained Sarah.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Asked the older John. Sarah looked at him then at the younger John.

"He no longer has the Turk. Sarkissian sold it to a man named Alexander Volkov." Sarah said grimly, realizing that it was where he heard the name Volkov.

"What?" The younger John stunned.

"And Sarkissian's men kidnapped a woman named Alice Caroll. Another former intern at Cyberdyne now works as a robotics engineer for AMT." Sarah added.

"She was a resistance fighter. John knows her." Cameron spoke for the first time. Sarah and both Johns looked at her completely stunned by this information.

"Was?" The older John asked.

"Alice Caroll died 2026 when Skynet found their lab." Said Cameron.

"Lab?" Asked the younger John.

"She was commissioned to design and build the resistance's weaponry. Like the one you used on Cromartie." She told Sarah.

"Mom we need to find her." The younger John said. Sarah looked at him thinking.

"I'll call Derek, tell him to meet us." She said.

"I'll get the car." The older john said.

As the Connors prepare to leave, Derek stealthily enters a warehouse and hides behind a large crate. He felt his cell phone vibrate, Derek answered it discreetly.

"I followed one of Sarkissian's men in a warehouse. I have a hunch that they're keeping Caroll here." He said to the person on the other line. Meanwhile, a man stands in front of a door staring blankly at it. Behind him, a woman tied on a chair with a tape over her mouth. She tries to cry for help over the gag. The man looks at her with glowing red eyes, the woman cried louder as she attempted to break loose from the restraints. The man faced the door again and stood in front of it, not moving as if waiting for something.


	8. Chapter 8 A Rogue From Within

Chapter 7 "Gospel of John"

"Then a great and mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a woman, whose dress was the sun and who had the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. She was soon to give birth and the pains and suffering of child birth made her cry out. Another mysterious sight appeared in the sky. There was a huge red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and a crown on each of his heads. With his tail he dragged a third of the stars out of the sky and threw them down to the earth. He stood in front of the woman, in order to eat her child as soon as it was born. Then she gave birth to a son, who will rule over all nations with an iron rod.." Said Agent Ellison who was reading from a bible in his hands, seated in a circle of people listening intently. After finishing a couple of verses, he sat quietly in his seat as a woman from the group reads another verse. Reflecting on the verses that he just read, it felt surreal and made him realize something. He needed to help Sarah now more than ever.

Sarah steps on the porch followed by John.

"I need to see someone, you should stay here." Sarah said to John.

"Who, Ellison?" He asked.

"No. Someone else. Just stay here and wait for John and Cameron." She told him.

"I'm not good at babysitting." John said with a grin on his face. Sarah smiled at him.

"It's not that hard. Besides, you'll get to see how stubborn you are." She said to him. John smiled at her and said in a serious tone,

"Sure you don't want me to go with you?"

""Don't worry, I'll be fine." Assured Sarah. John nodded and they went inside the house.

John was stuffing his books in his locker when Cameron approached him.

"Can I get one?" She said to him.

"What?" Asked John closing his locker.

"A tattoo. Can I get one?" Said Cameron. He looked at her in amazement.

"I don't know, maybe." John said as he walked to his next class, Cameron followed him.

"Why do you want to get a tattoo?" John asked smirking.

"It looks cool." Cameron answered.

"I want a butterfly." She added. John looked at her, grinning.

"A butterfly?" He asked Cameron.

"Yes. I saw it on a girl after gym class. It looks cool." She said mechanically.

"I can't wait for mom to hear you say that." John said laughing, and then he saw Cheri standing by her locker. He walked towards her and left Cameron standing near the drinking fountain.

"Hey Cheri." Said John. She looked at him trying to balance the things that she was carrying.

"John, hey." Cheri said to him.

"Let me help you with that." He said taking her things.

"Thanks." She said and gave a weak smile.

"Off to your next class?" John asked as they walked.

"Yeah." She answered.

"Um, Cheri-" John was thinking of what he should say.

"I was wondering if you would like to go to the prom with me." He finally gets to say it. She smiled at him but was evidently surprised and delighted at the same time.

"Sure. Yeah I'd love to." Said Cheri. John smiled and felt relieved as he walked with her down the corridor.

Sarah was driving when her cell phone rang.

"Hello?" She answered. It was John on the other line.

"Mom, I'm just going out for a minute." He said.

"Where are you going?" Sarah asked.

"I'm just gonna go for a walk. Breathe some fresh air. Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it." Said John.

"Okay, but be careful." She told John.

"You be careful, wherever you're going. Bye." He said.

"Bye." Sarah said then hangs up. She wondered where John was going. Sarah parked the car on the side of the road, and walked towards the food court beside the Valley Square mall. She approached a man seated in one of the tables with his back towards her. Sarah rushed to sit on the vacant seat from across him.

"This won't take long, just give me a minute." She said quickly.

"Sarah-"The man said.

"I need a favor. It's for Cameron." Sarah continued, ignoring him.

"Slow down. Wait, did you say Cameron? The machine in your house?" He asked.

"Yes." Answered Sarah.

"I didn't want to drag you into this, again. I swear this will be the last that you'll hear from me." She added.

"Sarah it's okay. Tell me." He said. Sarah took a deep breath before speaking.

"This is going to sound crazy but Cameron needs an eye." Sarah said feeling a little awkward.

"What? An- I don't know if I can help. But-"The man said, Sarah thinks for a second then said,

"You're right. You can't help. I don't know what I was thinking, I'm sorry." Sarah said then stands up to leave.

"Wait! Can you just tell me what's going on? Did something happened?" The man asked.

"I'm sorry I called you. Forget all about this Charley." She said without looking at him then walked away.

John entered the house followed by Cameron.

"Hey. Anybody home?" Called John and he heard a dog barking coming from the back of the house. John went to investigate as Cameron stayed close behind him. They reached the back porch, the bark grew louder. John opened the door and saw a large dog running towards him.

"Dorothy! No!" Yelled a man's voice. The dog stopped in front of them still barking. John saw who it was; the other John was standing beside the swing.

"Heel!" He yelled and the dog runs back to him. John stepped down the stairs and onto the grass. Cameron stayed near the door watching them.

"She's a great watch dog." The younger John said as he scratched the dog's chin.

"Is she yours?" He asked.

"Yeah. I got her two years ago." Said the older John.

"And now I'm giving her to you." He added. The younger John looked at him.

"But- why?" Aren't you staying?" John asked.

"I'm not sure, we'll see." The older John said. The younger John stared at him sadly then looked at the large black and tan dog with pointed ears.

"Well you have to teach her not to bark at Cameron all the time." The older John said smiling.

"Mom will get so annoyed from all the barking, she might have to throw her out." The younger John said.

"Dorothy?" Asked the other John.

"No. Cameron." Replied john and they both laughed.

The park was filled with people playing catch with their pets; some were jogging and riding their bike. And for some they just sat in the grass relaxing and enjoying the view. Like a couple who sat under a tall tree lounging in the shade it provided. John had his arms around a woman who was leaning back on his chest; she was holding a digital camera, taking pictures of them.

"Say cheese cake!" She said as she snapped another photo. Then she looked at the LCD and browsed through the pictures.

"Which ones do you like? The goofy one or this?" She asked showing John the images.

"I like both of them." Said John.

"Yeah me too." The woman said and she stared at the picture.

"John?" She said.

"Yes?" Replied John.

"I told you that that I'm going back to New York by next week, school starts in three weeks." Said the woman, John didn't say anything.

"Will you come and visit me?" She said.

"I've decided to move to New York. Find a job, so I can be with you." John said seriously. She sat up and faced him.

"What about your mom?" She asked.

"She'll understand." He said to her.

"You haven't told her?' Asked the woman.

"Not yet. I'm still looking for the right time." Said John.

"Maybe tonight's the right time to tell her." She said, John looked at her questioningly.

"Your mom invited me to dinner. Well me and grand pa." She told John.

"Maybe I will." He said to her. The woman embraced John tightly as he stared blankly, looking worried.

Sarah parked the car in the garage and went straight inside the house.

"John?" Called Sarah as she entered the living room. She heads to the back porch and saw Cameron blocking the door looking at someone outside.

"What's going on?" Asked Sarah as she approached her.

"John's teaching Dorothy not to bark at me." Explained Cameron without looking at her.

"What? Dorothy?" She asked looking over Cameron's shoulder to see who she was talking about. Sarah stepped outside and smiled as she moved closer.

"Hey." The older John said upon seeing her. She stands beside him looking at the younger John playing with the dog.

"Dorothy? From the Wizard of Oz?" Asked Sarah, John smiled.

"Well, I can't name her 'Toto'" He said.

"And the guys from the pound where I got her told me that they rescued her after the tornado." He added.

"Really?" Said Sarah.

"She saved my life. Twice. Warned me about the machine that was after me." He told Sarah.

"You have a triple eight on you?" Sarah said sounding concerned.

"I'm not sure what model it was but I haven't seen it for a year now." Informed John.

"That was the machine you were talking about. The one you thought was Derek." She said.

"John told me that he was Kyle's older brother. And then I saw Cameron, I realized that Skynet sends machines who looked like someone I knew, someone I have a connection with." He said dimly.

Sarah stood speechless beside him.

A black Lincoln inter continental is parked outside a building. Derek cautiously walks towards it. He looked around before sliding underneath the car then placed a C4 charge on it and slides out, looked around again before walking away.

Sarah was helping the older John prepare for dinner when her cell phone rang.

"Derek?" Said Sarah, listening to the person on the other line.

"Where are you?" She said to him.

"I have good news. Sarkissian's dead." Said Derek.

"What? What about the Turk?" Sarah said, shocked by what she just heard. After a few seconds of talking to Derek, she hangs up. John looked at her and asked,

"Mom, what is it?"

The younger John walked in on them holding some papers, followed by Cameron.

"Mom you need to take a look at this. What's wrong?" He asked when he saw Sarah looking worried.

"What is it?" She said holding out her hand, John handed her the documents.

"Remember him? The man in the photo along with yours and Dmitri's? I found out who he was, there was a file on Sarkissian's hard drive. His name is Alexander Volkov." Said John.

"Volkov, I've heard that before." Sarah said.

"He had a meeting with that man, Sarkissian." The older John spoke.

"Derek told us remember?" The younger John said when Sarah looked confused.

"Volkov is an advance weapons dealer wanted by the U.S and British government." Explained the younger John.

"Derek's right, we have a big problem." Said Sarah anxiously.

"He called? What did he say?" Asked the younger John.

"Sarkissian's dead. Someone blew up his car." Explained Sarah.

"Isn't that a good thing?" Asked the older John. Sarah looked at him then at the younger John.

"He no longer has the Turk. Sarkissian sold it to a man named Alexander Volkov." Sarah said grimly, realizing that it was where he heard the name Volkov.

"What?" The younger John stunned.

"And Sarkissian's men kidnapped a woman named Alice Caroll. Another former intern at Cyberdyne now works as a robotics engineer for AMT." Sarah added.

"She was a resistance fighter. John knows her." Cameron spoke for the first time. Sarah and both Johns looked at her completely stunned by this information.

"Was?" The older John asked.

"Alice Caroll died 2026 when Skynet found their lab." Said Cameron.

"Lab?" Asked the younger John.

"She was commissioned to design and build the resistance's weaponry. Like the one you used on Cromartie." She told Sarah.

"Mom we need to find her." The younger John said. Sarah looked at him thinking.

"I'll call Derek, tell him to meet us." She said.

"I'll get the car." The older john said.

As the Connors prepare to leave, Derek stealthily enters a warehouse and hides behind a large crate. He felt his cell phone vibrate, Derek answered it discreetly.

"I followed one of Sarkissian's men in a warehouse. I have a hunch that they're keeping Caroll here." He said to the person on the other line. Meanwhile, a man stands in front of a door staring blankly at it. Behind him, a woman tied on a chair with a tape over her mouth. She tries to cry for help over the gag. The man looks at her with glowing red eyes, the woman cried louder as she attempted to break loose from the restraints. The man faced the door again and stood in front of it, not moving as if waiting for something.


	9. Chapter 9 Parting Ways

Chapter 9 "Parting ways"

"I was wrong to think, to dream that I was finally getting a normal life. I've forgotten who I was, no, I tried to change who I was. You were right, it wasn't over. It never will be. As long as I live, I will be hunted. They won't stop until they find me. Now I realized why should I care? Why should I fight, when I no longer have someone to fight it for? I lost both of you. Cameron, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. Mom, I'm sorry for leaving you, for not being there by your side when you needed me most." John stared at the tattered piece of paper that he was reading. He lost count of how many times he has re-read it. He folded it carefully and placed it inside his jacket.

John looked at the blue sky in a windy afternoon. He was sitting in a park bench, resting. After a few minutes, he grabbed his helmet beside him and decided to walk back to his bike. As he walked past by some shops, an electronic shop window display caught his attention. A couple of bystanders were looking at it. He moved closer to see what it was. It was a window display of some large plasma TVs. His heart raced when he saw the news being flashed on the screen. It was a video footage of a woman staring at the camera, standing in the middle of the road, naked. His feet were glued to where he was standing as he watched in shock.

"Mom" John said weakly, he slowly opened his eyes.

"John!" Said Sarah expectantly. "We're gonna get you to a hospital, we're almost there." She added. John reached inside his jacket pocket with a bloody hand, pulled out an envelope and gave it to Sarah. He took a deep breath before speaking.

"Mom, I'm so sorry." Sarah looked at her son with tears falling from her eyes.

"Don't say that. You'll be fine, John, please you can do this." She said to him still holding his hand with the envelope between them. John was clutching her hand tightly, as he gasped for air fighting for his life.

"John, be strong. Don't lose hope." He said looking at the younger John. "Take care of mom." He said to his younger self with his last breath.

"I will." Replied John, he looked at his mother. Sarah felt John's hand slowly losing its grip.

"John." It was all that Sarah could say as she held her son's hand. Cameron sat silently witnessing John's heartbeat slowly fading until finally comes to an end. Derek watched the Connor's through the rear view mirror still driving as fast as he could, while the woman named Alice sat silently beside him in the passenger seat.

A stubby, balding man emerged from the back door of a loading dock, wearing an apron.

"Hey Johnny! I need you to work some extra shifts tomorrow. Marcus decided to become sick. We got a busy day comin'" He said with an Italian accent.

"Alright Tony." Said a man sitting on top of a small crate, drinking a soda.

"And someone's looking for you upfront." Said Tony then went back inside. The man got up, left the soda bottle on the crate, and followed Tony. He saw a woman, wearing a black trench coat, waiting for him outside the restaurant.

"Cameron?" He said to the woman as he stepped out. The woman turned around and said,

"John, Grandpa called. He said-"Cameron hesitated.

"What is it?" Asked John waiting for a response from her.

"He found out that your mom is in the hospital for more than a week now." She said to John.

"What? What happened to her? Why didn't she call me?" John asked clearly worried.

"She did. She called you last week remember? When she sent you that necklace." Reminded Cameron, he couldn't look her in the eye.

"And you told her to leave you alone. You asked her to let you live your life." She added when John didn't say anything. He felt guilty and ashamed when he remembered what he did, then turned his back and walked away from Cameron.

The atmosphere around the Connor's living room paints an image of profound melancholy, as Sarah sat in the sofa reading a letter; her clothes still soaked with blood, her eyes filled with tears. The younger John stood silently near the fridge staring at Sarah, and then looked at Alice who was leaning on the kitchen sink, staring vacantly into space. Derek entered the house and moved beside John.

"How is she?" He asked John in a soft voice, looking at Sarah.

"She hasn't said a word since we got back." Said John gloomily. They both watched Sarah, who was still holding the letter in her hands, staring at it.

"Can you please tell me what is going on?" Alice said to Derek and John.

"Why did they kidnap me? What do they want?" She added, Derek turned to face her while John looked back.

"You probably won't believe us." Derek said casually. The woman just stared at him.

"Derek I'll take this." John said as he walked to the dining table, the woman followed him and sat down from across John. He sat wordlessly for a moment, thinking of how he can explain properly. Alice was looking at him, waiting for some answers.

"The people who took you, they're looking for some people that has a connection with Cyberdyne. Someone familiar with the program that they were developing." Explained John.

"Why me? I was just an intern." She said to him. John didn't know what to say next.

"You mean to say, that this is what it's all about? My internship at Cyberdyne?" Asked Alice. John was having a hard time finding the right words to explain the truth about Cyberdyne, about Skynet, about her involvement with the resistance in the future without him sounding mentally disturbed.

"That's not all. It has something to do with the-"He hesitated to say the word, dreading what might be her reactions.

"The future." It was Derek who finished his words for him. Alice looked at him with a baffled look on her face.

"What? Pardon me, but did you just say 'future'?" She asked Derek. He looked like he was about to explain something to a 3-year old child.

"In the future, you are an important member of the resistance led by him." He said pertaining to john.

"Derek." Said John trying to stop him.

"Against the machines that wanted to erase all of humanity. You designed the weapons that we use against them." He continued, ignoring John.

"What's all this rubbish that you're sayin`?" The woman asked looking from Derek to John.

"Derek stop." John said to Derek.

"I'm just trying to help." He said.

"Well you're not." Said John who seemed annoyed by what Derek did.

There were a few people having a cup of coffee inside Uncle Ben's diner. John sat at a corner table; he was wearing a black suit with a black tie, sitting in sullenness. Cameron approached him, holding a cup of coffee and sat from across him. She handed the cup to John and stared at him, trying to find words that can be comforting.

"I'm sorry if I left in a hurry without saying a word to you." John said not looking at her. Cameron held his hand which was resting on the table.

"I understand. I knew you would fly out of New York to get to your mom, the minute I told you about the news." She told John as he looked at her.

"Thank you for being with me at the cemetery. I didn't know if I can face the fact that I will never see her again." John said sadly. Cameron didn't say anything but smiled weakly.

"Now I know how you feel. I'd give anything; I'd do anything to get her back." He added and bowed his head. Cameron got up and sat beside him; she embraced John tightly as he cried on her shoulder.

"You'll always be in my heart. And someday we'll see each other again." Sarah read the last words on John's letter, and tears continued to fall from her eyes onto the paper leaving several blots of smeared ink. When she looked up, she saw the younger John leaning on the kitchen counter, staring at the floor. Sarah stood up and walked towards him then held John tightly in her arms. He didn't say anything but silently returned the embrace.

The day comes close to dawn, as the sky slowly turned to a dark shade of Vermilion. Sarah and John sat in the living room sofa, waiting silently. While Derek poured coffee onto his mug, Alice fell asleep in the dining table, her head resting in her arms. Cameron entered the house; she was met by Derek who grabbed her by her arms.

"Where did you take him?" He asked Cameron, somewhat infuriated. She looked at Derek nonchalantly. The woman asleep in the dining room jolted awake from where she was sitting.

"It's done. He's free." Said Cameron.

"What? Where is he? What did you do?" Asked Derek who now seemed nonplussed rather than infuriated; he let go of Cameron's arm.

"I did what he asked me to." She said mechanically. John, who was listening to them, stood up and walked up to her. Sarah looked at them but stayed seated on the sofa.

"What did he asked you to do?" Asked John. Cameron stared at him and said,

"He said I can't tell." John looked at her inquisitively.

"When did he tell you that?" He asked.

"I thought you only take orders from the future John?" It was Sarah who spoke; she was no longer crying but still had traces of sorrow. Cameron looked at her and ignored John's question.

"Yes. But it wasn't an order. It was just a favor." She said to Sarah. Derek and John looked at each other, perplexed by what they had heard. On the other hand, Sarah appears to be glad and gave Cameron a feeble smile.

"Thank you. For whatever it is that you did for him." She said to Cameron in a shaky voice trying to hold back the tears. Cameron said nothing and just stared at Sarah.

"Grandpa." Cameron said to an old, burly man who entered the diner. As she and John stood in the middle of the diner on their way out.

"Uncle Ben." Said John weakly. The old man embraced him and said,

"Be strong my boy. Your mother loved you so much." He let go of John and gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder.

"Sarah has her reasons for not telling us about her cancer. I know she's in a better place now." Uncle Ben said to him.

"I know." John said sadly as Cameron looked on.

"Stay with us. I promised your mom that I will take care of you." The old man said to John.

"I-I don't know. I need to go somewhere, alone." He said to Uncle Ben then looked at Cameron. Outside the diner, unbeknownst to them, a man with dark stubble was walking towards them. He stopped in front of the diner's wide glass windows and aimed a SIG556 at it and fired, shattering the glass into a million pieces. The people inside were screaming, hiding and running for their lives. John, who was bleeding from a cut on his left eyebrow, ducked down and was trying to shield Cameron from the shooting. When the rapid gunfire came to a halt, John saw Cameron lying on the floor beside him, bleeding from two gunshot wounds; one on her shoulder and the other on her chest.

"No,no,no. Cameron!" His voice panicking, as he touched her face. She was not responding, and he saw Uncle Ben, suffered the same fate as his granddaughter. John looked outside and saw a man reloading his gun, looking around before stepping inside the diner through the shattered windows. John made a split-second decision, against his will, to leave Cameron and make a run towards the kitchens. He hid behind a wall near the door and peeks through a gap and saw the man, as if looking for somebody, his eyes glowed red. Realizing who it was, what it was, John ran towards the back door and escaped on foot. After three blocks of running and walking, he decided to take a rest. John took refuge behind a dumpster near a convenience store. He sat down on the ground and cried silently. The image of Cameron, bloodied and lifeless, flashed through his eyes. John felt numb, his body didn't want to move; his mind ached as he drowned himself with guilt. His heart broken beyond repair; wishing that he would wake up from this horrible nightmare.

Cameron entered her room and removed the eye patch that she was wearing and placed it down on the bed.

"Where did you bury him? I want to see where he is." Said John who followed Cameron from the living room. She turned around and faced him. John was stunned to see that she already had a human eye under the patch she wore.

"Where did you- Is that his-?" Said John who was completely stunned.

"No. It's not his. Your eyes are green." Replied Cameron. John took a second look and saw that her eyes were both brown, but the new one was darker.

"He said that he doesn't want you to know where he is, so that you won't have to find him." She explained to John. He stared at her questioningly.

"Someday you'll understand what he did. What you did." Said Cameron then walked out of the room. John was left standing, speechless, pondering on what Cameron had just said to him.


	10. Chapter 10 Below part 1

Chapter 10 "Below" Pt1

"He's barely breathing. We need to get him to a hospital." Derek said to Sarah. She knelt beside him and gently taps John's face.

"John? John! Hang on please." She said to him. Derek stood up when he saw the car coming. Cameron placed her hands on John's chest, checking his vital signs on her HUD. The younger John came running towards them.

"Mom let's go!" He said to Sarah and saw the woman named Alice was watching them, crying silently. He went over to her and ushered her to the car. Derek came back and hastened to carry John to the car. Sarah and Cameron followed close behind.

Amidst the commotion, the cyborg Derek's head emerges from the water below the dock. He dug his hand through the wall and made his way up the side of the dock, his exposed metallic jaw hangs on his head by some wires as a result of the explosion. He caught sight of the back of a silver car from afar before it disappeared. He stood still near the edge of the dock while assessing the damages on his HUD.

The enveloping emotion inside the Connor's house seeps through every window signifying the grieving inhabitants particularly a woman who was standing in front of the kitchen sink staring vacantly at the window idly wiping a plate with a towel. John was sitting on the living room sofa watching Sarah, when Derek walked in the room.

"I'm taking Alice to a safe house. She can't stay here and she can't go back to her place either. It's too dangerous." He said to John. John didn't seem to hear him, still looking at Sarah.

"John?" Derek called to him. John looked at him and said, "Ok. Be careful." And turned to look at his mother again. Derek took one last look at him then turned to leave. The woman named Alice appeared from the room looking anxious. John stood up and approached her.

"It'll be fine." He said to her. The woman gave him a feeble smile then followed Derek out the house. John was left standing near the kitchen when Cameron walked in.

"Where have you been?" John asked her. Cameron walked past him and stood near the dining table then turned to face him. Sarah placed the plate gently at the counter and said, "I sent Cameron to place a marker on where she buried him. " John looked at Sarah but said nothing.

"After I did what you asked me to do I went to the storage facility. They took everything." Cameron said to Sarah. Sarah looked at her and said, "Who's 'they'?"

"FBI. We need to get everything back." Answered Cameron.

"Can't we just gather new supplies?" Asked John.

"We can. But we have to get one thing back." It was Sarah who spoke sounding concerned. John looked at her questioningly.

"Vick's chip." Said Cameron. John looked at Cameron, evidently stunned.

Derek cautiously looks around the place where they parked. The woman beside her spoke, "Why can't I just stay in your house? I'm not sure if this is the best thing to do."

"We've talked about this. It's too dangerous for you to stay with us but it's a little safer for you to stay alone and hidden." Reassured Derek.

"But-"She said unconvinced but Derek interrupted her, "Listen, we now have two triple 8s on our asses and if you stay with us and if they find us, they will find you." He said to her firmly. The woman was speechless but Derek immediately added, "You'll be fine. Just don't go out too much." The woman nodded and smiled weakly.

Sarah was standing with her arms folded near the swing when she heard someone approaching from behind. She looked over her shoulder and saw that it was Cameron. Sarah walked to meet her.

"Do you need me to do something?" Asked Cameron. Sarah nodded and said, "Yes. I do." With a voice sounding like she was conversing with a person, someone who understands her emotionally, someone like a friend.

"What is it?" Asked Cameron impassively. Sarah took a moment to consider what she was about to say to her.

"I know that he asked you not to tell us where you buried him. But I have to know. I have to-" Sarah couldn't finish her words and stared at the grass beneath them.

"Say goodbye." Cameron finished it for her. Sarah looked directly into Cameron's eyes and said "Yes." She didn't care if Cameron said something unusual again or if it even means anything to her. They looked at each other in silence as Sarah waited for an answer.

"I can take you to there." Cameron finally answered. Sarah smiled weakly and said, "Thank you."

"He did asked me to tell you but not to John."Cameron added. Sarah looked confused. "Why?" She asked her.

"You'll see." She answered Sarah then walked back inside the house.

Derek closed the door behind him and saw John seated on the dining chair, writing something on his notebook; Cameron was standing near the kitchen sink standing guard. Derek proceeds to the living room when Sarah walks in.

"Derek, I need a favor from you. But you're not allowed to ask questions." She said to him. Derek seated himself on the sofa and looked inquiringly at Sarah.

"Isn't that a bit unfair?"Said Derek smirking. Sarah didn't say a word but gazed at him seriously.

"Alright, no questions allowed."He said after seeing her reaction. Sarah moved a little closer and spoke in a low voice.

"Can you stay here with John for a while and keep an eye on him?" She said. Derek sat in silence looking at Sarah.

"I'm just going somewhere with Cameron." Explained Sarah, seeing that he wanted some details. Derek nodded.

"Thanks." She said to him then turned and beckoned to Cameron; and she followed Sarah as she went out the door.

A tall man walks toward a gas station eyeing a bearded man filling up his motorcycle. He grabs the bearded man by the neck and with a sound of bone cracking, he fell on the ground. The tall man then pulled the gas nozzle from the tank, mounted the motorcycle and raced off the road.

"We're here." Cameron said to her passenger as she parked the car. Sarah nodded and stepped out of the car. She looked around the surrounding trees towering some grimy, chipped tombstones. And saw Cameron already heading towards a tombstone near a statue of an angel. She followed her walking slowly, breathing deeply, and holding a single long-stem rose. She saw that Cameron stopped in front of a grave. As she approached near it, she noticed a rectangular – shaped rock bearing the letters "JC". Sarah stood beside Cameron who was also looking down on it.

"John." Muttered Sarah and after a moment placed the rose on top of the rock.

"This is why he didn't want John to know where he is." Cameron said pointing at a tombstone. Sarah looked at her and towards where she was pointing at. She read the name engraved on the stone, it was hers, "Sarah Connor". And not far from it, she noticed another tombstone with a familiar name on it. Stunned, she moved rather unconsciously towards it.

"And this?" Sarah asked Cameron; she turned and moved beside her.

"That I can't explain. I have no information regarding her. But I believe John has already told you about her." Cameron answered mechanically. Sarah gazed back at the tombstone, at the name she knew nothing about but the short detail that John told her. The name "Cameron Elizabeth Phillips"

Derek was rummaging the fridge when John walked in on him.

"Have you seen mom?" Asked John. Derek straightened up and said, "Um, nope." Then closed the fridge holding a bottle of beer.

"What about Cameron?" John said to him while Derek moved towards the living room.

"Don't know either." He answered with his back to John.

"You're not telling the truth." He said to Derek; Derek turned around and faced him after drinking some beer.

"She went somewhere with the machine, but I don't know where." He told John. He didn't seem to believe what Derek told him and continued to stare at him.

"I swear, John. I don't know where they went. I was just asked to babysit." Derek added casually then went to sit at the sofa. John said nothing but looked annoyed by the answer that he received.

"I'm just gonna get some fresh air." John said walking towards the door.

"You can't go out John. It's not safe." Derek said firmly. John stopped at the door and rolled his eyes and turned to go back.

"The backyard then." He said reproachfully and left Derek without another word.

Sarah was standing near the rock where she placed the rose.

"Can I have a minute alone?" She said to Cameron who was standing near the angel statue, her eyes surveying the cemetery. She glanced at Sarah then moved a little farther from her. Sarah kneeled and touched the cold but smooth mound of earth. Gathering her thoughts on what to say, how to say it.

"In your letter, you said sorry for so many things. You didn't have to. I'm the one that should be saying sorry to you. I couldn't protect you, I'm sorry." Said Sarah in a sad voice.

"You found us and now we lost you." She added and was about to stand on her feet when she heard a booming sound of a motor approaching. Sarah looked around for the source of the sound and saw a man riding a motorcycle. A look of panic painted in her face when she saw that it was Cromartie.

"Cameron!" She called out to her. Cameron was also looking at the same direction and turned to Sarah.

"Run!" Commanded Cameron then walked towards the approaching machine. Sarah started to sprint in a different direction when she heard gunshots. She stopped to look back and saw Cameron pulling out a large tombstone from the ground and bashed it against Cromartie. The tombstone crumbled into pieces, Cromartie was thrown back and smashed on the side of their parked car. Knowing that Cameron can handle it herself, Sarah continued her escape and fled towards the part of the cemetery where several tall trees were offering a momentary cover for her to think. Her heart was racing; her mind unable to think clearly that she didn't see a stump of a large root sticking out the ground, her feet got caught that made her stumble and fall on the ground. She winced in pain but stood up quickly and saw that her right hand had gashes. Sarah listened intently for signs of being followed but heard none.

Back in the chaos, the battle between Cameron and Cromartie rages on. As Cromartie heaves Cameron to a large tombstone knocking it down, Cameron rolls on her back and immediately stands up searching for her opponent. Cromartie grabs her from behind, his arms around her neck like a vice grip. Cameron held Cromartie's arms, walked backwards and slammed him again at the crushed side of the car. Elbowing him in the face now covered in gashes revealing a gleaming silver metal.

Sarah reached the metal gates of the cemetery, her hand wrapped in a white handkerchief soaking with blood. She crossed the street and went inside an old, abandoned building. She leaned on the wall and tried to catch her breath, then reached for her cell phone on her jacket pocket and dialed a number.

Derek reached for his ringing cell phone on the coffee table and glanced at the LCD and saw that it was Sarah calling.

"Yeah." Said Derek.

"I need help." Said Sarah on the other line. Derek seemed doubtful about the person he was talking to.

"The Sarah Connor I know doesn't usually ask for help." He said casually.

"Derek-" Sarah said but was interrupted by Derek.

"I was in the shower when you confronted me about Andy, you said something. What was it?" Derek asked firmly. He moved near the door with his back facing it as he waited for an answer.

"I told you that if you're gonna lie to me again I will kill you." Sarah answered. "Where's John?" She added. Derek appeared to be convinced by her answer.

"He's out in the backyard. Where are you? What happened?" Said Derek but before Sarah can answer him a pair of arms went through the door, penetrated it like a thin paper and grabbed Derek from behind. The cell phone flew from his hands and smashed on the floor. Derek was dragged through the broken door and out the porch then they both fell on the ground. The attacker released Derek and he struggled to stand back up on his feet. He turned around and saw the face of his attacker; a man that can pass as his twin brother but his jaw, with its flesh stripped off, revealed what looked like metal. Its eyes glowed red as it lay on the ground, staring directly at Derek.

"Derek!" Said a voice from inside the house, Derek turned around and saw John. He ran towards him and yelled, "Go!" John hurriedly ran off the back door as Derek went to find his stash of guns and took a shotgun. The machine was standing near the kitchen when Derek rushed off to follow John. He stopped on his tracks and shot the cyborg twice on its head, knocking it off, staggering to keep its balance. Derek took the chance to escape and found John waiting for him on a parked car across the street.

"Just get in!" Shouted John.

"What the hell are you doing?" Derek said as he approached him.

"Saving your neck." Answered John. Derek didn't object and hopped in the car.

"Drive!" Commanded Derek. John stepped on the gas and they zoomed down the road. Derek caught a glimpse of the machine jumping off a fence trying to go after them.

"How did it find us?" Asked John while driving.

"No idea. But I'm sure it wasn't after you." Said Derek while looking at the rear view mirror.

"We have to call mom." John said in a fearful voice.

Cameron landed hard on top of the car's hood and the windshield shattered into pieces. As Cromartie walked towards her, she grabbed the shotgun from inside the car near the driver's seat and pointed it on Cromartie. She shot him squarely on the chest and near his right eye making him take a few steps back. Cameron steps down from the car's hood and shoots Cromartie twice and he falls into an open grave. She walks to the open grave and jumps in, shoots Cromartie on the head then steps on his face with one foot and takes out a switchblade from her jeans' back pocket; crouched down and grabbed Cromartie's head with one hand and the other cutting through the scalp with the switchblade near where the chip is. Cameron tried to pull the chip with her fingers but was unsuccessful, abandoning the attempt to pull the chip out, she grabs the shotgun on the ground and straightens up and shoots the chip instead. Leaving a big hole on the side of Cromartie's head; the cyborg appeared to have shutdown and stopped moving. She surveys the machine for a moment then turns her back on it, grabs the edge of the grave and pulls herself out; grabs the shovel near the mound of dirt near it and starts to cover the grave.

Sarah tries to call someone on her cell phone but no one answers. She hears someone walking towards where she was hiding then moves beside a big, old cabinet for cover. Sarah heard a sound of a creaking door and someone stepped inside.

"We have to go now." Said a woman's voice. Sarah peeked through the cabinet and saw that it was Cameron.

"How'd you know I was here?" Sarah said as she approached her.

"There's some blood on the door." Answered Cameron.

"And Cromartie?" Asked Sarah holding her wounded hand.

"I took care of it." She said as she stared at Sarah.

"We need a car." Cameron added.

"Something happened back at the house. I was talking to Derek and- I heard a crash. We need to get to them immediately." Sarah said. Cameron nodded and walked outside the building and Sarah followed.

To be continued….


	11. Chapter 10 Below part 2

Chapter 10 "Below" Pt 2

"John, stop the car." Commanded Derek. John obligingly stopped the car and looked at Derek.

"I'll drive." Derek said as he stepped out of the car while John transferred to the passenger seat.

"Where are we going? What's the plan?" Asked John as Derek started the car.

"Do you have your phone?" Derek told John.

"No. Where's yours?" Said John.

"I dropped it, back at the house." Said Derek not taking his eyes off the road. John seemed worried, his hands were slightly shaking. Derek noticed it then said,

"Don't worry. We'll figure this out, okay?" Assured Derek. John nodded but said nothing.

"Sarah's probably trying to call us too." Derek added.

"Yeah, I bet she is." Said John.

Sarah was holding her bleeding hand while walking with Cameron towards a blue pick-up truck parked near a pet shop.

"It's possible that they're not in the house anymore." Said Cameron as she forced open the truck's door.

"We don't know that. But I know that I need to get to John immediately." Sarah said heading towards the passenger side. She then notices the puppies inside the pet shop barking at them.

"Why do they always do that?" Asked Cameron. Sarah turned to face her.

"Do what?" Sarah said to her.

"Bark at me. They always do that." Cameron said. Sarah looked at the puppies once more then said,

"I guess they don't like the smell of metal. Probably reminds them of cages." Then Sarah stepped inside the car leaving Cameron still staring at barking puppies.

"Can we just go? Now is not the right time to be sentimental." Sarah said to Cameron when her cell phone rang.

"Derek?" She answered as Cameron stepped inside the car.

"Mom it's me." A voice said on the other line.

"John? Where are you? What happened?" Asked Sarah. Cameron listens intently.

"I'm at the house." Said John.

"Are you okay? Where's Derek?" Sarah asked then signaled Cameron to drive.

"I'm fine. I don't know where he is. Mom where are you?" Said John.

"John, listen to me. You need to get out of there now." Instructed Sarah.

"Where will I go?" Asked John.

"Tell him to meet us at the train station." Cameron said to Sarah.

"Take the guns with you then meet us at the train station." Sarah said to John.

"Okay. I'll meet you there." John said.

"John!" Sarah called out.

"What?" Asked John.

"Be careful." Said Sarah.

"I love you mom. See you in a minute." John told her then hangs up.

Sarah slowly lowered the cell phone thinking about something.

"What's wrong?" Cameron asked Sarah.

"Nothing." Answered Sarah. Cameron looked at Sarah for a moment then said, "He'll be fine." The two of them sat in silence as they drove off to their destination.

A man was standing beside a swing set talking to someone through his cell phone. His voice sounded younger for his age.

"I love you mom. See you in a minute." He said then hangs up. The man walks back inside the house; He then grips his damaged jaw as he tries to fix it, his eyes blazed a deep shade of red.

"Where are we?" John asked Derek as he parked the car in an alley.

"I just need to get something." Answered Derek. John looked at him questioningly.

"A phone and some guns." Derek said to him. John still seemed unconvinced.

"Stay here. It'll just be a few sec." Derek added and stepped out of the car.

"No I'll go with you." John firmly said to him. Derek didn't say anything but nodded. They entered an old building; John saw a few rooms with its door locked from the outside. They made their way through the end of the corridor. Derek pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked a door.

"What is this place?" Asked John as Derek entered first; it was a dark room that smelled like rust and gun powder. Derek switched the lights on and John saw that it was a room full of different types of guns and ammunitions.

"Wow you can arm the whole Spartan army with these things." John said while looking at some guns.

"If they had one of these they didn't need a wooden horse to defeat the Trojans." Derek replied. John walked around looking at some more guns place on the racks.

"Pick one." Said Derek while packing some guns and ammos in a black bag.

"One what?" Asked John.

"A gun. You should have one, your own gun." Said Derek bluntly. John seemed a little shocked and stared at Derek. He then looks back at the gun rack and touches a 9mm.

"Go on, take it." Derek told him. John hesitantly takes it.

"I know Sarah wouldn't approve. But I think you should carry one." Added Derek. John didn't say anything but gave him a nod. Derek found a cell phone on the table, he took it and gave it to John.

"Here, call your mom." Said Derek. John took it and dialed Sarah's number.

"Damn it!" Cried Sarah holding her cell phone. Cameron looked at Sarah, "What's wrong?" She said while still focusing on the road.

"The battery's low." Said Sarah.

"We're almost there." Cameron said to her when Sarah's phone rang.

"Hello? John? I can't- I can't hear you. Are you at the train station?" She said while covering her ear so she can hear the person on the line.

"John? Shit!" Shouted Sarah as she looked at her cell phone then throws it on top of the dashboard.

"Battery's dead." She said to Cameron and noticed a speeding trailer truck from the left side headed towards their path.

"Look out!" Screamed Sarah as the truck rammed their car and skidded sideways a few feet from the intersection. Sarah caught a glimpse of Cameron hitting her head on the window caused by the impact. The left side of their car was crushed like a tin can, pinning half of Cameron underneath. Sarah felt lightheaded as she touched her bleeding forehead. Her sight, blurred and her right eye obscured by blood. Sarah tried to get out but the door was stuck and she didn't have enough strength to push it as a pain in her right shoulder became evident. She turned to face Cameron and saw that she was not moving but her eyes were glowing blue. Sarah saw someone walking towards her door; it was Derek who had a mangled, skinless metal jaw. The cyborg ripped the door from the car and held Sarah by her neck and pulled her out of the wreckage.

"You will help me get to him." Said the machine as he drags Sarah towards a waiting train.

"You're gonna be sorely disappointed." Sarah answers back as she gasps for air then passes out.

"What did she say?" Asked Derek after locking the door.

"She didn't say much. I lost contact then-" John was saying when Derek interrupted him.

"Shhh. I hear someone." He said in a low voice. They hear several heavy footsteps approaching. Derek pulled a shotgun from his bag.

"Stay behind me." He whispered to John. They move slowly towards the corner.

"Volkov wants this finished. If you find them, kill them." They heard a man said. Derek gestured to John to climb through the window at the end of the corridor. John walked towards the window but it was too high for him to reach.

"Derek." John called to him in a low voice. Derek shouldered the shotgun and gave him a lift. John lifted himself over the window and as he stepped down he heard gun shots from inside the building.

"Derek!" Shouted John.

"John get the car I'll meet you upfront!" He heard Derek from inside the building. John looked around and saw their car parked up ahead. He hurried towards it when a broad-shouldered man in a black leather jacket emerged from around the corner and took a shot at him. He hid behind a dumpster just in time a couple of bullets missed him. John took a deep breath and took the gun from behind his back. He aimed his gun; he was ready, ready to defend himself. The man suddenly appeared with his gun pointed at him, John heard a loud gunshot. And the man fell lifeless on the alley floor; John frozen in shock stayed behind the dumpster. He heard someone running towards him; it was Derek.

"John, are you okay?" He asked him. John lowered his gun and said,

"Yeah. I'm fine." Saying it like he wasn't entirely sure.

"Let's go." Derek said to him and turned towards the car. John followed him then he suddenly remembered something.

"The train station." John said while they were walking.

"What?" Asked Derek while he placed the bag of guns in the back seat.

"Mom asked me if I was at the train station." Explained John.

"Why would she ask that?" Derek said as he stepped inside the car.

"I don't know. But I think we should go there." John replied as he closed the door. Derek shakes his head in disagreement then said, "I'm not sure if that's a good idea, John. She wouldn't ask you to come to her, she'll find you."

"She didn't ask me to come to her. I know we're supposed to meet her there." John said firmly and there was intensity in his voice. Derek stared at John and thought about what he just said and how he said it.

"Can we go now?" John said looking directly at him. Derek didn't say anything else, he's convinced that John will find Sarah whether he was with him or not.

Sarah felt a throbbing pain in her wrists as she slowly opened her eyes. Her hands were numb and she tasted blood on her lips. She can't recall where she was and why her head felt like it was splitting in two. Sarah realized her hands were tied down and she was sitting on a dusty floor; the cyborg Derek was standing over a bald man sprawled on a pool of blood, a few feet from her. Then everything started to move forward slowly and was gathering speed.

"I should have known." Sarah said aloud. Derek turned to face her but said nothing. Sarah tugs the restrains and said,

"I should have known that I was talking to a machine when you said those words." She looked directly at him, infuriated.

"John wouldn't say those words. Metals always rely on emotion to make it sound more convincing. " Sarah added. The machine stared back at her.

"It worked on you." He said mockingly. Sarah was speechless; she felt ashamed and angry on herself for falling on the trap.

"If he dies today, then it'll be your fault." He said coldly.

"Not if I destroy you first." Sarah said firmly.

"What the hell?" John said in horror as he saw the wreckage of a car crushed by a truck a few feet from the intersection. Derek looked around as they drove pass by it.

"Is that Cameron?" Said John pointing to a woman running after a moving train away from them. The woman caught up with it and hastily jumped into the train.

"Hold on." Derek said to John as he stepped on the gas and followed the train.

Cameron pulled herself up the steps of the train. She surveyed the area, but no one is around but the empty seats. A large gash is seen on the left side of her face; Cameron drags her left leg as she move towards the next compartment. She opened the door and found Sarah tied to one of the seats. Cameron took a step headed towards Sarah but was grabbed by the cyborg who was waiting beside the door. Derek threw her on the floor and slid a few feet. Cameron was slow to get back up; the cyborg grabs one of the railings and strikes her repeatedly on her back. Sarah seized the opportunity to reach for the knife that was concealed on the strap of her boots. Cameron raised one arm to shield her head from the cyborg's continuous assault as she tried to grab the weapon from him; while Sarah struggled to free her hands.

"John, take the wheel." Instructed Derek as they caught up with the train which was now moving in speed.

"Just drive steady, I'll jump across." He added. John hastily transferred into the driver's seat. Derek reached for a shotgun and said,

"Drive closer to the train." As he prepared himself. John tried his best to steady the car as it moved closer beside the train. He turned to John and said,

"When I get on the train, drive away from here as far as you can. Do you understand?"

"John?" He said when John didn't say anything.

"Okay." Answered John. Derek took a moment to look at John then jumps across onto the train.

Cameron caught the railing with her hand as the cyborg Derek swung back at her. Sarah finally freed herself and quickly stood up. The two machines, who were busy trying to dismantle each other, didn't seem to notice her. Sarah ran towards the door where Cameron entered; she looked back and saw Cameron getting the upper hand this time. She elbowed the cyborg's face a couple of times making it fall on its back. Sarah collided with Derek; he caught her just in time as she was about to fall sideways.

"Come on." Derek said to her as Sarah straightened up. He walked back towards the door of the next compartment.

"Where's John?" Asked Sarah as she followed him. She was holding her shoulder. Derek ignored her and stopped near the door at the side of the train. He opened it and a strong gush of wind poured in.

"Derek!" Shouted Sarah. Derek moved closer to her and said loudly,

"Don't worry he's fine. We have to jump." Derek noticed that Sarah was holding her shoulder and was wincing in pain.

"You're hurt." He added. Sarah realized that Derek saw that she's in pain.

"I'll be fine. We need to get to John." She told him and moved closer to the door. But before they can jump, they heard a thunderous crash of metal. And they saw a form of two blurred objects flew past them and landed on the side of the tracks. Sarah and Derek stick out their heads through the door and saw Cameron quickly standing up.

"I'll stop the train, stay here." Derek said to Sarah then heads to the next compartment.

The cyborg Derek pulls himself up as Cameron approached him then slams his head on the side of the passing train. He falls flat on his back, Cameron grabs him by his jacket; he tries to defend himself but Cameron pushes him underneath the passing train, slicing through his neck, and as the last of the train's wheels went by, the machine's head rolls in front of Cameron still holding the rest of its body. The train slowly went to a stop, Sarah jumps down from it. She saw Cameron from afar picking up something, and noticed a car approaching from behind her. Sarah limps toward her, Derek jumps down from the train as well and follows her. He takes Sarah's arm and places it around his neck to help her walk. Cameron stood in the middle of the railroad holding the head by its hair. She looks down on the dismantled cyborg as it lay still on the ground. The car stopped a few feet from her; John stepped out and walked towards them. Sarah and Derek reached Cameron first; they saw John hurrying to meet them.

"I'll get the car." Said Derek, leaving Sarah with Cameron.

"Anything broken?" Sarah said to her. Cameron looks at Sarah, then lifts the head showing it to her.

"I meant 'you'. Are you damaged?" She said to Cameron.

"Just my leg. Nothing to worry about." She answered Sarah mechanically. John finally caught up with them.

"Mom." He said looking at Sarah.

"Your shoulder, it's-." Cameron was saying when Sarah interrupted her.

"It's fine." She said looking at John. Derek returned with the car.

"Get in." Sarah said to John. Cameron moved to the back of the car and placed the head on the trunk and went back for the rest of it. Sarah stands near the trunk and waited for Cameron to come back.

"Thank you." She said to her after she placed the headless cyborg. Cameron straightened up and closed the trunk then faced Sarah.

"You're safe." Cameron said to her. Sarah nodded and said,

"For now." Then proceeded to the back seat; Cameron followed suit. Sarah sat in the back seat with hope that they'll finally be safe from machines that are hunting them. So they can resume their mission of tracking down the program called "The Turk" that will soon become Skynet.


End file.
